The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) is reminding people just how quickly and easily fires can spark when cigarettes or cigars aren’t disposed of properly after dousing a fire in Thorncliffe on Tuesday.
According to the CFD, firefighters were called to Tavender Road Northwest just before 4 p.m. for reports of smoke and flames coming from the front porch of a home.
Firefighters arrived to find a fourplex with garbage at the front of the home on fire, a Tuesday news release stated.
Crews were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from causing any damage to the inside of the home.
No injuries were reported, and the fire department said damage to the front of the residence was minimal.
“An investigation determined that the fire was accidental in nature and was a result of a cigarette butt that had fallen through the balcony decking and landed on some garbage that had been put out on the porch below,” the CFD said. “The garbage ignited and the fire started to grow.”
According to the fire department, smoking-related fires are the most common type of outdoor fire in Calgary.
“They can be fatal and cause millions of dollars in damage to property every year,” the CFD said.
To prevent these types of fires, Calgarians are asked to ensure all butts and ash are out by dousing them with water before putting them in the trash and to never use a planter pot or flowerbed to dispose of their butts.
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