August 2019
A condo owner caused a fire in her unit while smoking in bed with ashes igniting bedding. The woman fell asleep in bed while smoking and breathing through oxygen tubes.
This woman put all residents of her condo building at risk. Her failure to act responsibly created a danger to the entire community. The situation would have been much worse had her oxygen source ignited.
There is little condo corporations can do about such actions and irresponsible individuals short of banning smoking in a building. Such a restriction would be controversial. It would require modifying corporation governing documents and a vote of owners. These efforts may be warranted to protect residents against the consequences of certain actions that can have fatal consequences.
