Fire officials in Wisconsin are stressing the best ways to put out smoking materials after yet another blaze was recently sparked on a porch on West Scott Street.
WBAY.com reports crews were summoned to the scene during the early-morning hours of March 9, adding that a large part of the porch was damaged by the flames. Investigators quickly determined the cause was improper discarding of smoking materials in the front of the porch.
“Had this fire not been detected by a passing motorist, the outcome could have been much more devastating to the occupants of the residence,” reads a statement from the department.
The incident was the latest in an ongoing string of fires caused by improper discarding of smoking materials.
“The cause of the fire was the same as numerous other fires over the past two weeks, which are completely preventable,” authorities added. “The only safe way to discard smoking materials is in an appropriate fire-proof receptacle,” reads a statement from the fire department.
Action2 News reports the blaze marked the fifth such fire in the past two weeks, adding this time of year, when grass and brush are dry, cigarette butts can cause problems very quickly.
“The fire does spread at a drastic rate, and we really need to be proactive and try to prevent these fires from occurring,” Division Chief Jason Roberts added.
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