Montréal, 01 June 2016 - The Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) asks everyone to be careful when they butt out. Since the warm weather has returned, the SIM has recorded 12 fires caused by smoking materials extinguished in soil in outdoor flower pots. This kind of unfortunate incident can be avoided by observing a few sensible fire prevention precautions.

No butts in pots!

Never butt out a cigarette in a flower pot, in black earth, mulch or any similar material. They contain peat and other moss and wood chips, all of them combustible, as well as chemical fertilizers. All of these are fire risks when they come into contact with a source of heat. In fact the first flame may not appear until four or five hours after a cigarette is extinguished in this kind of material.

Recommendation

When you have to extinguish a cigarette outdoors, it is strongly recommended that you use an ashtray suited to fire risks outside, such as gusts of wind. At home, a can filled with wet sand will do the job. Make sure it is deep enough, and place it on a stable, fire-proof surface.

A few more tips

• Keep lighters and matches out of sight and out of reach of children.
• Educate children about the destructive effects of fire.
• Ask children to tell an adult if they find a lighter or matches.

For more prevention tips to help you reduce the risk of a fire at home, visit the SIM website.