The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Fire Department was called to a home in Huntsville just after 3 a.m. today. Crews found four residents outside the home with a burning mattress in the front yard. Fire Chief Steve Hernen says working smoke alarms woke the residents and they are lucky to be alive. They were treated for minor burns and smoke inhalation.
Hernen says one of the residents fell asleep while smoking in bed, which caused the fire. Hernen says this is the second serious near miss in Huntsville in the past few days.
The first incident happened on Sunday April 5 after a cigarette was improperly discarded causing fire to an apartment building on Church Street.
Hernen says careless smoking is one of the leading cause of fire deaths in Ontario.
Tips to Consider:Â
- Encourage smokers to smoke outside.
- Do not extinguish cigarettes in plant pots, which often contain a mixture of peat moss, shredded wood and bark that can easily ignite.
- Never smoke in bed.
(Submitted Photo: Huntsville Fire Chief Steve Hernen)