An outside stairway used by people to smoke near a Downtown restaurant caught fire Tuesday, with firefighters quickly putting it out before closing the staircase. The fire was reported at about 3:35 p.m. outside Salvatore's Tomato Pies, 912 E. Johnson St. "A restaurant manager pointed firefighters to an exterior staircase, where two steps were smoldering," said Madison Fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster. The stairway isn't used very often but has become a gathering place for people stepping outside for a smoke. "Firefighters found a few cigarette butts underneath the staircase and an ash bucket nearby," Schuster said. "There were no other possible ignition sources in the area."