A cigarette improperly extinguished in a flower pot full of soil on a deck sparked a fire that destroyed a home in west Edmonton’s Lewis Estates neighbourhood.
Firefighters were called at 11 p.m. Saturday to a house near 92a Avenue and 208 Street, and arrived three minutes later to find the home on fire.
The call was upgraded to a two-alarm fire 15 minutes later, and more crews were called in to help battle the blaze.
Firefighters got the flames under control at around 12:40 a.m. Sunday, and put it out just after 2 a.m.
Two firefighters were sent to hospital with minor injuries and were later released.
Edmonton Fire Rescue (EFRS) said the damage is estimated at $450,000 to the home and $50,000 to the contents, for a total loss of $500,000.
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There have been several fires sparked by cigarettes in recent weeks, including a house fire in Mill Woods that displaced eight people and a seniors’ home fire in the same area the day prior, as well as a fire in west end Meadowlark area that left a woman dead.
EFRS is reminding smokers to always put out cigarettes in deep, non-combustible ashtrays, and ensuring cigarette butts are wet before placing them in garbage containers.
— With files from Jennifer Ivanov, Global News