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Recent house fires a reminder to butt out responsibly, says official

Rise in fast-burning house fires heats up calls for sprinklers in homes

People in Halifax are being urged to dispose of cigarettes more responsibly after two house fires in the last week were caused by discarded butts.

Matt Covey, fire prevention division chief with Halifax Fire, said there have been 20 fires this year caused by cigarettes that weren't properly disposed of.

Covey said if people are smoking outdoors, they should be using a metal container filled with sand to serve as the ashtray.

"You put the butt in the sand and it extinguishes the fire that way," he said. "Then frequently clean that [container] out ... don't let them build up," he said.

Covey said all it takes is a smouldering butt blowing off a deck and landing on a leaf to spark a fire.

On Wednesday night, a fire started on the deck of a home on Quinpool Road because of a discarded cigarette. The fire then spread to the house next door.

Covey also confirmed that a fire July 20 in Dartmouth was caused by unsafe cigarette disposal.

Covey said there has been talk within the fire department about whether to do an education campaign to remind people about safe disposal of cigarettes.