Cigarette thrown into mulch sparks fire at Denny's, fire officials say

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando fire officials worked to put out a fire at Denny's after a discarded cigarette ignited dry mulch outside the restaurant, the Orlando Fire Department said. 

Fire crews worked for 15 minutes to knock down the fire at a Denny's on the 440 block of Semoran Boulevard, officials said.

The fire started after a cigarette was thrown into mulch that was outside the building, fire crews said. The fire then went up the wall and inside.

Officials said the fire was due to dry weather conditions and warned people about discarding cigarettes outside.

Fire crews said the building was not a total loss, but had a significant amount of damage. The fire forced workers and patrons to evacuate the restaurant, officials said.

No other details were available. Stay with News 6 and ClickOrlando.com for updates on this story.