For the second time in a year, investigators are blaming smoking for a fire at an off-campus house St. Thomas students occupy.

The fire, which started early Friday, Sept. 23, on the porch of the 1810 Marshall Ave. residence, forced seven students to flee the building said St. Paul Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard.

Firefighters had to rescue an eighth student, but Zaccard said no one was seriously hurt.

“There was one resident who was asleep in the basement,” Zaccard said. “The firefighters went in, woke him up and walked him out. He wasn’t at any risk.”

He said the students had a gathering that night with guests who could have been smoking.

“There was evidence of smoking material. It could have been a guest, we don’t know who, but there was quite a bit of evidence of smoking with butts on the ground of the porch,” Zaccard said.

The house has an estimated $15,000 worth of damage, but the biggest difference between this fire and the one at Michael Larson’s residence in December 2011 was that these students were able to call right away.

Zaccard said the December 2011 fire, where St. Thomas student Michael Larson was killed, also was started by a smoker who did not extinguish a cigarette properly.

He said student housing needs sprinkler systems.

“That would have saved the life of Michael Larson in December,” Zaccard said. “Had these folks been asleep, that would had saved their lives.”

He said smoking-related fires are the most common in Minnesota and there are things everyone can do to prevent them.

“We’re glad more and more people are smoking outside, but even if you smoke outside you can still cause dangerous fires,” Zaccard added.

The students currently are not living in the house.

Hannah Anderson can be reached at ande5385@stthomas.edu