WESTERLY, R.I. (WPRI) — A fire that displaced four families in Westerly over the weekend has since been ruled accidental, according to the state fire marshal's office.

Officials said improper disposal of smoking materials was determined to be the cause of the fire.

Cassandra Barbato, who lived in the multi-family home on Cottage Street with her son, said it will take time to pick up the pieces.

"It's a lot to kind of take in," Barbato said. "It's hard when you see everything you have is gone or you have to go through a process to salvage it."

She returned home Sunday morning to find the building in flames. Firefighters spent hours battling the fire, but many of her belongings were destroyed.

"I'm probably one of the luckier ones because we have a lot more we can salvage," she said. "The upstairs apartment didn’t salvage much of anything, and they also have three children. That’s unfortunate."

While no injuries were reported, Barbato said the home has been condemned. The American Red Cross was on scene to assist those affected.

"What's important is that nobody got hurt. Everybody got out—even our cats—so we were happy with that," she added.

A Freefunder campaign has been set up to help Barbato and her son recover.

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