(Kermit Constantine photo)

The Waterloo Fire Department responded shortly before noon Saturday for a small fire at Willie’s West End tavern at 107 S. Moore Street.

The call went out about 11:45 a.m., and firefighters arrived to find that a small area at the front of the building had caught fire near a can used for cigarette butts. The fire was contained to the small area and there was some smoke in the basement of the building, Waterloo Fire Chief Brett Wiegand said.

The owner had already extinguished the fire with a garden hose, so firefighters checked for extensions and used a fan to get the smoke out of the building.

The owner had already planned to replace the damaged area with new siding as part of an ongoing renovation at the tavern.