Improperly extinguished cigarettes blamed for 2 Fort McMurray fires in 5 days
FORT MCMURRAY, AB. – Fire officials in Fort McMurray are warning residents about the dangers of careless smoking after two separate fires caused by improperly discarded cigarettes within five days.
The latest blaze broke out around 1 a.m. Thursday on the balcony of a Powder Drive apartment building. Fire crews quickly contained the flames to the exterior of the structure. Investigators determined the fire started when a cigarette butt placed in a plastic container reignited.
This follows a similar incident last Friday on Jackpine Way, where a mobile home’s deck caught fire from smoking materials left in a plant pot.
Acting Fire Chief Rob Van Hecke called the back-to-back incidents “a concern,” noting that potting soil and other organic materials can smolder for hours before igniting.
Officials are reminding smokers to use sturdy metal ashtrays with sand or water, and to never discard cigarettes in vegetation, plastic containers or other flammable materials.
No injuries were reported in either fire.
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