Cigarette butts likely caused a small grass fire in Peachland

PEACHLAND – Discarded cigarette butts were found near the centre of brush that caught fire in Peachland this afternoon.

At around 1:30 p.m., May 27, Peachland Fire and Rescue attended to a property on Minto Street where a small brush fire had broken out.

The fire reached a maximum of 30' by 40' and was extinguished before it could spread to the only nearby structure.

"The fire burnt right up to the edge of a small metal garden shed," Peachland Fire Chief Dennis Craig says. "It didn't amount to much."

What worries Craig is how the fire likely started.

"We found discarded smokers material," he says.

Craig confirmed the materials were cigarette butts and that although the fire was small, it was potentially dangerous.

The recent wet weather played a role.

"Had it been a month from now or even a week ago it would have been a different story."

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