The Grande Prairie Fire Department has issued a few safety tips for smokers as the city continues to warm up ahead of spring.
According to GPFD Fire Marshal Chris Renyk, planters have become a serious concern for the fire department as the snow melts.
Renyk says dry conditions in Grande Prairie might give some people the illusion that planters filled with substances like peat moss are safe to butt out a cigarette in; however, what some people think is dirt, can turn into a serious fire hazard quickly.
“What you might think is dirt is essentially sawdust,” he says. “When you throw a cigarette in that, you might break apart the ash potential, but the cherry if you will is dropped down below in the bottom of the planter because there’s gaps, and it just sits there, and like anything, it will continue to burn [and] normally it’s within the hour but we’ve seen it within a few hours to overnight, to a matter of days.”
Renyk emphasizes the importance of disposing of smoking materials in an appropriate receptacle and says just a few simple measures can make a significant difference.
“We ask that you have a non-combustible receptacle, potentially filled with sand or water, and be responsible and smart about the discarding of that.”
The GPFD has responded to a number of fires due to this behaviour, and Renyk says the concerns are even more important for residents who live in side-by-side housing like condos or apartments that have vinyl siding which can spread a potential blaze fast.
“Essentially we have a giant fire that goes right up into the attic and can spread into neighbouring properties,” he says. “We really stress this for anybody who might have side-by-side townhomes, duplexes, apartments, anything where they shouldn’t be discarding these cigarette materials.”
Renyk adds that dry grass, exposed leaves, and other organic materials present a risk, and residents are asked to be mindful of where they toss their cigarettes as the weather gets warmer.
