DANVILLE, Va. – The Danville Fire Department is reminding people not to throw cigarette butts into mulch.
On Thursday, firefighters showed 10 News how dangerous that can be.
Over the past couple of weeks, the department has responded to numerous mulch fires caused by cigarettes.
A few years ago, a restaurant in Danville burned down because of a fire started by a cigarette thrown into mulch.
"If we respond to a mulch bed in the middle of the road, that means we've got to send a firetruck, we've got personnel. They're also vulnerable because now they're in the middle of the road," Danville Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Alderson said.
Cigarettes can be tested for DNA to potentially ID the smoker, but Alderson said testing is too expensive to do.