(FILE)
Careless smoking is being blamed for a fire on a balcony of a Winnipeg apartment overnight.
Firefighters were called to the 1200 block of Grant Avenue after a passing motorist reported a fire on a fifth storey balcony just after 2 a.m. Emergency crews quickly knocked down the blaze before it could spread to the walls of the structure.
No injuries were reported and the building didn’t require evacuation.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says the cause was accidental due to the disposal of a cigarette butt in a planter.
“Residents are reminded they should never use a plant pot as an ashtray. Potting soil is a mix of dirt and a number of combustible organic materials such as peat moss, shredded wood and minerals which are combustible. When a butt is put into a planter, it can smolder for several hours,” the WFPS said in a release.
