Recent fires on the wooden back porches of multifamily buildings has Oak Park Fire Department officials urging residents not to extinguish cigarettes in pots containing soil mixes, mulch or dried vegetation.
Potting mixes typically contain highly flammable materials like peat moss, dried bark and pellets that will burn when introduced to a heat source like a smoldering cigarette butt. Smokers may think a butt is out, only to have a fire start several hours later. Officials urge using caution when smoking and have an ashtray nearby at all time.
Visit www.oak-park.us/fire for more information on fire safety.