Thanks to a newspaper delivery driver who made the call and quick response by firefighters, disaster was avoided in the heart of downtown Edgartown in the wee hours Sunday morning, when fire shot through the historic Desire Osborn House on Main street.

No one was injured in the fire, and firefighters were able to quell the blaze before it did major damage. Fire chief Peter Shemeth said he believes the fire was started by a discarded cigarette in a trash container next to the building.

“Judging from the burn pattern, we are fairly certain the fire started in the trash barrel near the alley. It was probably a cigarette butt that smoldered there for several hours before it caught fire to some of the papers in the container,” Chief Shemeth said.

The fire spread to a picket fence along the alleyway next to the Osborn building, and then up the side of the building. Jennifer Dickey, a newspaper delivery person who happened to be driving by, spotted the fire around 4 a.m. and called the county communications center.

About 40 volunteer firefighters responded to the scene. Firefighters from Oak Bluffs and Tisbury also responded on mutual aid.

The building is owned by the North Water Street Corporation, an affiliate of the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust. Tenants include Carroll and Vincent Real Estate, Petunia’s Shoes and Past and Presents antiques. There is also an apartment in the rear of the building that is unoccupied, the chief said.

When firefighters arrived they found the exterior wall fully engulfed in flames, and fire starting to creep into the attic. Mr. Shemeth said the situation was complicated because the fire surrounded an electrical box where utility lines connect to the building. It was unclear if the electricity inside the building had been shut off or disabled, so firefighters used chemical extinguishers to knock down the flames, as a precaution.

Firefighters then checked the poles and discovered that several fuses at the top of the pole had shorted out, likely because of a safety feature that cuts power to the building in case of fire. Firefighters then attacked the fire with water from hoses, inside and out.

Mr. Shemeth said they arrived just in time.

“Thank God that newspaper delivery driver [Jennifer Dickey] called when she did. If we received the call even 10 minutes later, the damage could have been much worse. The building could have been a total loss . . . the fire could have spread. That’s a dangerous location for a structure fire,” he said.

The chief said the late hour also may have been a help.

“If you’re going to have a fire on Main street, the best case scenario is for it to happen at 4 a.m. All the traffic is gone so the trucks can pull up close, and there are no problems with traffic or crowd control. We were fortunate in that regard,” he said.

The chief praised his firefighters.

“It helps that we called for a full departmental response. It was sort of an all-hands-on-deck situation. But still it’s impressive for 40 firefighters to respond at [4 a.m.]. That’s a big reason we were able to minimize the damage to the side of the building. My understanding is there is no major smoke or water damage on the first and second floor ... that’s good work right there,” he said.

The Desire Osborn House dates to 1776, and is believed to be the oldest building on Main street. Chris Scott, executive director for the Preservation Trust, also lauded the quick response of the firefighters. “I can’t say enough to express how grateful I am to the fire department for their professionalism and for their prompt response. They took great care in minimizing the damage,” he said.