Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Discarded Cigarette Butts Found At Edmond Wildfire

Fire investigators say discarded buy cigarettes may have started Thursday's wildfire that burned 200 acres and threatened homes in northeast Edmond.

Firefighters will monitor the area throughout the weekend to make sure the fire doesn't flare up, said Assistant Fire Chief Tim Wheeler.

Investigators found more than two dozen fresh cigarette butts on the north side of Coffee Creek Road and west of Sooner Road, where the fire started, Wheeler said.

“They were scattered out in that area,” he said. “There were of different varieties. They had been discarded less than 24 hours. They were not weathered, ran over or been in the sun.”

Wheeler said people shouldn't throw cigarettes from vehicles, especially during the hot, dry weather Oklahoma is experiencing.

“We want to caution those who choose to smoke cigarettes to be careful,” Wheeler said. “Discarding cigarettes online out the window, first of all, is littering but it can also cause wildfires like this.”

This was the second wildfire in the area in the past three weeks.

No one was injured in Thursday's fire and no homes were destroyed.

Edmond firefighters were assisted by seven other fire departments and the Oklahoma Army National Guard, which brought in two helicopters to help put out the fire.

The assistance and lack of wind helped keep the fire under control, Wheeler said.

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