Another fire was ignited on Sunday due to the improper disposal of smoking materials.

The City of Winnipeg says, in a release, that, "At approximately 4:10 a.m. on June 10, 2019, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service crews responded to reports of a fire in a single-storey, multi-family home in the 600 block of Ross Avenue. Once on scene crews encountered a fire on the exterior of the structure which was extending into one of the suites. An offensive attack was launched and the fire was declared under control at 4:37 a.m."

No one was injured and no property was damaged at this fire. Assistant Chief, Mark Reshaur, of Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) says that is not always the case. There have been multiple fires of this type - too many - and there has been significant damage every time.

The culprit? Improper disposal of cigarette butts in flower pots and planters.

Reshaur says there is never a good excuse for using 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."

With the fire at Ross Avenue, the homeowner had put their cigarette butt in the wooden planter outside the home. The smoker's materials smoldered overnight and later set the wooden planter aflame.

Reshaur says, "Planter fires are not uncommon phenomena and they're being seen more and more particularly with the drier, hotter weather we're experiencing."

For those who smoke, Reshaur says, "The ideal place to dispose of your cigarette butt is an ashtray. ... And at the end of the day, give the cigarette butts a light rinse with water before disposing of them in the trash to ensure that they're fully extinguished."