Fire severely damaged a Tooele home Saturday.

Firefighters arrived at a house on the 500 West block of 670 North at about 9:30 a.m. and found a 65-year-old woman standing in her backyard attempting to extinguish flames with a garden hose, said Tooele Police Sgt. Robert Benson.

Flames had engulfed the home and were shooting out a back bedroom window when firefighters arrived, he said. They worked for 45 minutes to extinguish the fire, which caused about $100,000 in damage, Benson said.

Investigators believe the fire started after the woman emptied a cigarette ash tray into a garbage can in her bedroom, Benson said. The fire caused "extensive damage" in the bedroom, he said.

"There is a lot of smoke and water damage in the rest of the house," he said.

No injuries were reported. The woman lived alone.

The Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter of the American Red Cross provided the woman with food and shoes, and will help her with housing for several days, spokeswoman Susan Thomas said.

Melinda Rogers