Lincoln Fire and Rescue says crews have responded to about a half dozen recent calls where fires have been started after someone put a cigarette butt out in planters filled with potting soil. “Somebody may put a cigarette butt out and walk away and hours later the whole side of the building is going up,” says LFR Public Information Officer MJ Lierman.
“That’s why we are very determined to get the word out and make sure people know that is not a good spot for their cigarette butts.” Lierman says potting soil may look harmless, but many commercial potting mixes contain organic materials like peat moss, bark, or coconut fiber, things that can smolder long after a cigarette is dropped in.
Lierman says when a cigarette isn’t fully extinguished, it can sit unnoticed in that dry material, slowly heating up before igniting. LFR recommends always using a proper, non-flammable ashtray and making sure cigarettes are cold to the touch before disposal. Adding water or sand to ashtrays can also help prevent accidental ignition.