Fire on Main Street in North Bay caused by smoking material

A fire Monday in North Bay that sent one firefighter to hospital and caused $500,000 in damage was caused by “improper disposal of smoking material,” officials said Thursday.

“Thanks to North Bay Police and EMS as well North Bay Transit that assisted with this emergency,” North Bay Fire and Emergency Services said in a news release.

“A special thanks to the individual who stopped and alerted the homeowners of the fire. Her actions allowed the family to self-evacuate prior to our arrival.”

One firefighter was taken to hospital as a precaution due to extreme heat stress symptoms, the release said.

“The firefighter has been released and is back at work,” the release said.

Fire Chief Jason Whiteley said he was concerned about the number of drivers who had “total disregard for the safety of emergency personnel working on the scene.”

“We had drivers trying to drive through the emergency work zone and driving over hoses,” Whiteley said.

“This creates additional safety concerns for fire crews who are concentrating on the required assignments to put out the fire.”

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Officials also reminded residents about the importance of safety when it comes to disposing of smoking materials.

“Smoking materials and unattended cooking are the leading cause of fire deaths in Ontario,” the release said.

“Smoking material fires are preventable ... If you smoke, smoke outside. Most deaths result from fires that started in living rooms, family rooms and dens or in bedrooms.”

Other safety tips:

- Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials up high out of the reach of children, in a locked cabinet.

- Use a deep, sturdy ashtray. Place it away from anything that can burn.

- Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants or landscaping, peat moss, dried grasses, leaves or other things that could ignite easily.

- Before you throw away butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.

- Never smoke and never allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal. It can make an existing fire burn faster and hotter.

- Fires have occurred while e-cigarettes were being used, the battery was being charged, or the device was being transported. Battery failures have led to small explosions. Never leave charging e-cigarettes unattended. E-cigarettes should be used with caution.