Lincoln Fire and Rescue is sending an urgent reminder to residents after three fires started on apartment balconies over the weekend. “They were minor, however they could have been disastrous,” says LFR Public Information Officer MJ Lierman.
She says they were all caused by improperly discarded cigarettes. The fires happened at apartment buildings located near 61 and Vine, 70st and Adams and 27th and Rokeby. Lierman says one apartment sustained $5,000 in damage and another $3,000. The third balcony fire caused $500 in damage.
“Please dispose of those cigarettes appropriately because there’s a lot of people that can be affected,” Lierman says. “Our crews were able to get the fires put out quickly so that they didn’t spread, but these could have been a lot worse.”
Lierman says the best way to dispose of cigarettes is to put them in a metal can with sand or water. She is urging residents to not put them in a planter because the dirt can be dry and a lit cigarette can smolder for hours before taking off.