August 2021
Fires caused by discarded cigarette butts are a regular occurrence. One broke out in the middle of the night at Village by the Grange in downtown Toronto on June 1.
This fire started on the balcony then spread to the inside of the unit. Tenants were asleep. Fortunately, there were no injuries. A single cigarette butt thrown from a balcony is the cause. The fire shattered glass and melted window frames.
It will cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair damage because one person was reckless in discarding a single cigarette butt. Residents have lost their home which is uninhabitable for the four to six months it will take to complete repairs.
Village by the Grange is now considering a complete ban on smoking.
Too many reckless in discarding cigarette butts is one reason communities may prohibit smoking in buildings. One careless resident unnecessarily puts many at risk.
Toronto Fire Services reports 114 fires started by lit cigarette butts of which 51 were balcony fires in 2017.
