Careless Smoker Causes Fire at Bismarck Apartment Building

An individual who failed to properly dispose of smoking materials caused a fire at a Bismarck apartment building according to the Bismarck Fire Department.

In a press release from the Bismarck Fire Department, the department was called at 2:30am to a fire on Riverview Avenue before eventually learning that there might have actually been a fire on the 1000 block of Memorial Highway.

The first arriving crew spotted a fire on an apartment balcony and saw residents evacuating. Firefighters extinguished the fire and ventilated the building.

Heavy smoke damage impacted one apartment and that resident was displaced.

The fire department released these tips for properly disposing of smoking materials:

 Fully extinguish all smoking materials, every time.
 Pinch it, before you pitch it. Make sure butts are cool to the touch before discarding.
 Never use a plastic container for butts.
 Use only approved non-combustible containers to dispose of smoking materials.

There were a total of 17 firefighters dispatched to the scene.

[Bismarck Fire Department]