Winnipeg, MB - At 2:05 a.m. on July 26, 2019, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to reports of a balcony fire in a five storey apartment block in the 1200 block of Grant Avenue. The 911 call was made by a driver who happened to be passing by the building. Once on scene, crews found a fire on a fifth floor balcony. It was quickly knocked down before it extended to the walls of the structure.
Evacuation of the building was not required. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was determined to be 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. Once the container heats up, it can crack, giving the smoldering material oxygen and the opportunity to spread to other combustibles such as decks, balconies, walls, etc. Smoking material should always be extinguished in an ashtray or deep metal container. Butts should also never be thrown from balconies, car windows, or disposed of near any vegetation such as grass or brush.