A carelessly discarded cigarette is the cause behind a fire on Kennedy Road in Cranbrook overnight.

Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services (CFES) responded to a call about a fire around 1 a.m. Thursday morning to a property on Kennedy Road. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered a brush fire of about 12 feet by 12 feet on the site. There was no wind at the time to fan the fire and crews were able to quickly contain and extinguish the fire.

“People need to be diligent in not throwing their cigarettes out vehicle windows,” said Wayne Price, Director of Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services. “Just one cigarette can easily cause the destruction of an entire subdivision, especially with the current conditions. Ask yourself, how would you feel after the fact, if you were the cause of dozens of people losing their home or business?”

Earlier this week, Cranbrook RCMP stopped the driver of an out-of-town vehicle for tossing a cigarette out the window. The driver was fined $575 under the provincial Wildfire Act. Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services have responded to and put out nearly a half dozen fires in and around the city just in the last 10 days.

“This is mind boggling that with the current fire conditions and all the wildfires burning around the province, and families being evacuated from their homes, people are still throwing cigarettes on the ground,” Price said. “There are consequences to and an impact from these decisions. New vehicles no longer have ashtrays in them, so if you smoke, keep a mug or some other non-combustible container in your vehicle and then properly dispose of the ashes when you get home.”

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