Emergency crews responded to a small fire on Monday, April 10, 2023, at the Rockcress Commons apartment complex (2209 24th Avenue South).
Great Falls Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Mike McIntosh said in a news that firefighters were called out at 4:35 a.m. and found a fire on a third floor balcony.
They were able to quickly control the fire, preventing the flames from spreading into the apartment or the attic of the building.
There was no damage to the interior of the apartment; the only damage was to items on the balcony and to the exterior siding.
There were no injuries, and the occupants were not displaced.
Firefighters determined the fire was caused by a resident putting a cigarette into a pot with potting soil.
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GFFR provided the following information:
The Great Falls Fire Rescue routinely responds to significant fires with devastating outcomes all because a cigarette was put out in the dirt of a potted plant. Although many people think that this is a safe practice, not all dirt is the same. Today’s potting soils contain very little actual soil but instead they have large volumes of peat moss shredded wood, bark, styrofoam and vermiculite in potting mix. All of these ingredients are highly flammable and ignite easily under dry conditions. Once the soil ignites, fertilizers in the mix will accelerate the flames.
When a cigarette is put out in the dirt of a potted plant, the soil can work to insulated the lit cigarette, heat the soil to an ignition temperature and begin to smolder. These types of fires can often smolder for several hours and when enough oxygen is available, the materials will break out into flames. If the planter is located near other combustible items like a deck, side of the house or fence, they may become involved resulting in a serious fire.
If you are a smoker, please remember to keep your “butt” out of the dirt and use a sturdy, metal ashtray to properly extinguish the smoking materials.
