乱扔的烟头今年已经在阿省制造了24起房屋火灾
原始发布日期： 2017-06-27 发布者：玉山字变大 字变小
Tossed cigarettes result in 24 house fires so far this yearCost of damages from smoking-related fires so far this year estimated at more than $850,000
A fire at this duplex in Ritchie on June 23 was caused by smoking materials discarded on a wooden deck, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services says. The fire caused $400,000 worth of damage. (John Shypitka/CBC)
Two recent fires that caused major damage to residential buildings are among 24 fires this year sparked by improperly discarded smoking materials, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services says. A fire that displaced residents at an apartment building in west Edmonton on June 25 was caused by smoking materials discarded on the deck of a third-floor suite. That fire resulted in $110,000 worth of damage. On June 23, a fire that started on the wooden deck of a Ritchie duplex was also caused by smoking materials. It resulted in $400,000 worth of damage.
The total damage estimate for the 24 fires this year related to smoking materials is more than $850,000. "Fires originating on balconies of multi-family buildings are particularly devastating because of how quickly they spread and the number of lives and property potentially affected," EFRS said in the release. "Fires caused by smokers are 100-per-cent preventable." 
In May, improperly disposed smoking materials caused a fire that damaged a unit in this multi-housing complex at 81st Street and 8th Avenue SW. (Gavin Thomas/CBC) Butts can smoulder for daysCigarettes and other smoking materials can smoulder for days before igniting a fire.In the past two years, cigarettes disposed of in planters and diaper pails or tossed off balconies have led to massive fires in condo and apartment buildings. In 2015, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association called for fines and even charges against those who start fires by carelessly disposing cigarettes.
Both the plants themselves and the chemicals in the soil can easily catch fire and spread to the rest of the building. "A lot of these planters are in a wooden container or a plastic pot. Eventually, those ignite and then it ignites whatever it's close to," he said. A fire started by smoking materials discarded in a diaper pail on the balcony of a Clareview condo in May 2015 was described as "dynamite" by a deputy fire chief after about 60 firefighters worked three hours to get the blaze under control. The fire resulted in $16.3 million in damages. Fire chief Ken Block called the incident "completely preventable." EFRS is reminding Edmontonians to dispose of smoking materials properly — and to never butt them out in planters. Smoking materials should be extinguished in deep, non-flammable ashtrays, and matches and cigarette butts in ashtrays should be wet before being placed in the garbage. Cigarettes and smoking materials should never be dropped on the ground, and lighters, matches and cigarettes should be kept away from children. 
A fire at a northeast Edmonton condo in 2015 was caused by smoking materials that weren't properly disposed. (CBC) |