The Woodstock Fire Department responded to three fires caused by improperly discarded cigarettes yesterday.
WOODSTOCK - The Woodstock Fire Department responded to not one, not two, but three cigarette related fires.
Public Information Coordinator Lisa Woods says they all happened yesterday and only minor damages have been reported.
In one case, someone threw a cigarette butt in a dumpster south of the 401. Woods says this incident had the potential to be very dangerous, because the dumpster was close to a home and it was filled with combustible materials at the time.
In the second case, someone left a cigarette smoldering in the cup holder of a vehicle in the Giant Tiger parking lot. Woods says the person returned to the vehicle right before firefighters were about to enter it.
The third incident happened in the Norwich Ave and Juliana drive area. Woods says a person threw their cigarette butt out a window while they were in a drive-thru, and it landed on some mulch in the area.
Woods explains how to properly discard a cigarette.
"Keep a metal can with either sand or water in it, deep enough so you can put your cigarette in it. Obviously if you are driving and you are smoking, make sure you get out of the car to put it out completely and put it in a metal can."
If the metal can is located outside, it should have a lid and it should also be sturdy enough so it doesn't blow over. Woods says it's also safer to smoke outside instead of inside.
She says smoking has been the leading cause of fires in the Friendly City over the past five years.
"In Woodstock we do have problem with cigarette fires and improperly discarded smoking materials. Whether that be a cigarette butt, a cigar butt or marijuana too because its legal."
Woods says cooking fires are also very common, adding it's the leading cause of fires across Canada.
She is taking this opportunity to remind everyone to make sure they have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.
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