JAY — An alert police officer saw flames on the porch of a house at 13 Elm St. at about 9 p.m. Thursday and evacuated the house.

Officer Nick Gulliver was on patrol downtown when he saw the fire and called for assistance, Public Safety Director Larry White Sr. said Friday.

Gulliver and Livermore Falls police officer Steve Gould evacuated residents of the house and nearly put out the fire with their vehicle fire extinguishers, White said.

Jay firefighters arrived and completed the job, he said.

A woman had put a bucket of ashes from a pellet stove on her porch, White said. Gulliver’s alertness probably saved it from becoming a larger fire, White said. Only one board on the porch caught fire, he said.

dperry@sunjournal.com