SKOWHEGAN — An early morning fire Wednesday at a Skowhegan motel displaced four guests but didn’t cause any major damage to the building, according to Skowhegan’s fire chief.

Firefighters responded to the Whispering Pines Motel on Waterville Road shortly after 1 a.m. for a fire caused accidentally by “improper disposal of smoking materials,” Chief Ronnie Rodriguez said.

The fire was contained to the outside of the building and did not affect the structure, according to Rodriguez.

The four people in the affected unit were displaced indirectly because firefighters had to remove outside decking and steps to stop the fire from spreading, Rodriguez said. The motel is making arrangements to provide a new place for them to stay.

The motel often hosts long-term guests who are working in the area, Rodriguez said, though he was not certain in this case how long the four people were staying there.

Firefighters from Fairfield and Benton Fire-Rescue assisted at the scene and the Norridgewock Fire Department covered the town of Skowhegan while firefighters put out the blaze, according to Rodriguez.