Hwy 11 business heavily damaged after cigarette butt put out in planter sparks flames
Fire officials say a cigarette butt discarded in a planter box caused significant damage to a business in Muskoka overnight on Tuesday.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
The fire sparked and spread to an exterior wall at the business on Highway 11 North in Gravenhurst, burning a hole through the wall.
Fire causes damage to a business on Highway 11 in Gravenhurst, Ont., on Wed., May 24, 2023. (Source: Gravenhurst Fire/Twitter)
Officials say crews were called when the fire alarm sounded to find the flames spreading into the building.
The damage estimate isn't immediately available.
Fire crews say not to extinguish cigarette or joint butts in plant pots that often contain peat moss, shredded wood and bark that are easily ignited.
"Instead, dispose of them in large, deep ashtrays that can't be knocked over!" Gravenhurst Fire posted on Twitter following the fire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.