Posted Friday, July 3, 7:11 a.m.; updated 10:40 a.m.

A fire that started in a landscaped area behind bank branches and offices on Main Street Thursday morning resulted in minor damage to the buildings’ exteriors and air conditioning systems and smoke damage inside. Fire officials said a construction worker passing by about 8:30 a.m. discovered the fire before it got worse, preventing what could have been millions of dollars of damage.

Fire Chief Jeff Almond told DavidsonNews.net Friday that property owners were lucky it was discovered quickly. “Fortunately for all of us, we missed a big one,” Chief Almond said.

The fire began in a landscaped area behind Fifth Third Bank, likely in pine straw. Chief Almond said the cause is still under investigation, but a fire marshal who was at the scene Thursday said it may have started with a lit cigarette.

The blaze scorched trees and burned parts of the building’s stucco exterior, basement doors and air handling units. The fire threatened to burn into the crawl spaces of the Fifth Third Bank, Brenda Pressley CPA offices and Wachovia Bank, and filled the buildings with smoke.

In a note to town department heads and Town Board members late Thursday Chief Almond said Davidson and Cornelius fire departments contained the fire quickly. He said the fire was not more serious thanks to the availability of both paid part-time day-shift firefighters and volunteers.

“The fire was contained quickly, which prevented serious damage because our day shift firefighters were on duty at the station and additional firefighters were available and responded,” Chief Almond said in his note. “Had this occurred late at night or when we didn’t have the station staffed, the outcome may have been much different.”

He said property owners have called in fire restoration services to remove insulation under the buildings and to clean up smoke damage and odors.

The chief said the buildings involved have no fire detection or sprinkler systems.

“One lesson for all is if your building’s exterior is combustible or of limited combustible construction you should use non-combustible ground cover (small pebbles or lava rock) next to walls. Today there are many alternative ground covers available for this purpose and for this reason. Had non-combustible ground cover been in use there would have likely been no fire,” Chief Almond said.