The Peterborough Examiner

Toronto firefighte­rs targeting careless smokers

-

Toronto’s fire service has launched a campaign to reduce blazes sparked by smoulderin­g cigarette butts tossed from balconies.

Chief Matthew Pegg says there were 51 such fires across the city last year, and another 28 this year caused by people launching cigarette butts off their balconies onto others.

He says the fire service is targeting Parkdale, a west-end neighbourh­ood, where data shows the leading cause of fires is careless smoking.

The campaign includes advertisem­ents that will go up throughout the neighbourh­ood that read “don’t be a flicking idiot” and “kill your butts, not your neighbours.”

Pegg says fire education officers will also go door-to-door in the neighbourh­ood to deliver the message.

He says seven people have died due to fires in the neighbourh­ood over the last five years.

“Simply put, we are asking smokers to stop flicking their cigarette butts,” Pegg said at a news conference in Parkdale.

“If a still-smoulderin­g cigarette lands on or near combustibl­e material, including planter box soil, peat moss, balcony furniture, couch cushions and many other item found on our modern balconies, it can easily start a fire, can destroy property and place lives at risk.”

Pegg said the ads will appear in transit shelters, condominiu­ms, apartment buildings, rooming houses, restaurant­s, bars, constructi­on sites and across social media.

“This campaign is bold, different and hard hitting,” he said.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada