Cigarettes Spark At Least 60 Fires

Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: March 26, 2008

At least 60 mulch or brushfires in Lynchburg have been sparked so far this year by improperly discarded cigarettes.

Mostly these fires smolder on the side of roads, tying up firefighting resources but causing little damage, said Lynchburg Fire Marshall Greg Wormser. But sometimes these fires spread, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, like the one Saturday at the Maple Ridge Apartments on Reusens Road, which displaced 19 people.

Improperly discarding smoking material is against the law, Wormser said. While it’s a misdemeanor — it can be charged as littering or as a violation of city code specifically regarding smoking material — if the smoking material causes a fire, the penalties can be severe.

“If it causes a fire and we can trace it back to you, and we can with DNA, that can lead to other charges,” Wormser said.

A cigarette thrown into the new mulch in front of building C of the apartments sparked the fire, Wormser said.

Then the wind spread it toward building D, which suffered the worst damage. Seven apartments were condemned due to the fire damage.

“We don’t want people throwing cigarettes out on a pile of mulch,” Wormser said.

Mulch piled against the building also contributed to the fire’s spread. Wormser said putting bricks, or other nonflammable materials against the building is a safer alternative. He suggests that people use a two-foot buffer between a building and any mulch.

“Try to provide a barrier,” Wormser said. “Two feet or so of a barrier will provide protection.”