London fire officials are again warning of the dangers of careless smoking and contraband cigarettes after a blaze that left a man fighting for his life.
Firefighters were called to a multi-unit house at 360 Princess Ave. Monday morning after a fire broke out in the upper floor apartment. The tenant of the unit, an adult male, managed to escape the flames but not before suffering extensive third-degree burns. As of Thursday, the man is still in hospital in critical condition. He is expected to survive, according to the fire department.
Investigators found the fire was caused by careless smoking and noted the cigarette involved was an illegal one which, unlike its legal counterpart, lacks the ability to self-extinguish. There were also no working smoke alarms in the unit.
“Despite consistent warnings about careless smoking and the added danger posed by illegal cigarettes, the fire service is disturbed that so many people are not getting the message and these needless deaths and injuries continue to mount," said Acting Deputy Chief Jack Burt in a statement. “Our ultimate goal is to educate people in order to help them to be fire safe but our messages are not always being heard and, in some cases, they are being ignored. In this case, the law requiring working smoke alarms on every storey of a dwelling was also disregarded.”
Careless smoking in the leading cause of fatal fires in London and across Ontario. Out of the last five fire deaths in London, four were the result of careless smoking and contraband cigarettes.
So far this year, firefighters have been called to five sparked by careless smoking, including one last week at 595 Proudfoot Lane. Investigators determined the fire started on the balcony of the high-rise building when an illegal cigarette was carelessly discarded, igniting nearby combustible materials. No one was hurt but the fire spread inside the unit, causing $20,000 damage. Firefighters were also called to a blaze at 95 Julien St. around 4am Thursday. One person was treated at hospital and released. Initial estimates put the damage total at $100,000.
