The lighter was used on bedding in a basement bedroom, according to the report.
The fire has been classified as incendiary and an investigation is on-going, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Spaulding.
The fire caused $30,000 damages to the property and $2,000 in damages to the home’s contents.
Police and firefighters are still investigating whether a fatal drug overdose and the house fire are related.
Police were called to a home at 2:25 p.m. Monday on a report that a man had overdosed.
Elaine Lewis, of Middletown, said her nephew, Michael Lewis, 42, of Middletown, was the one who died from the drug overdose.
Three hours later, the fire department was called to the same residence.
Michael Davis and Asiah Slone said they just moved into the house on 14th Avenue about two weeks ago and were gone for about an hour when the fire started.
“When we came back, the house was on fire,” Davis said. “We lost everything, clothes, furniture. Everything got burned up in the fire.”
Davis said he went inside the burning house to try to retrieve some clothing, but it was too smoky. He said the stove was turned on high and there were flames coming from the basement.
Slone said she made the call to 911 about the reported overdose as well as the call for the fire.
Davis and Slone said Michael Lewis was visiting them. Davis said Michael Lewis slept on the couch or watched television when he visited. The couple said they were upstairs in their home and Michael Lewis was downstairs when they found him and called for medics.
“We tried to help him,” Davis said. “We tried the best we could.”
Michael Lewis’ brother, L.C. Lewis, 44, of Middletown, died from a drug overdose in August 2016, Elaine Lewis said.
“These are good young men who made the wrong choices,” she said.
The Butler County Coroner’s Office said the cause of death is pending.
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