Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services quickly responded to a working fire on the balcony of an apartment building last week.
Responding alarm crews contained the fire to the area of origin on the sixth floor. The high-rise building located at 305 14th Street West contains 187 dwelling units and is operated by Grey County Housing. All units were evacuated at the time of the fire for approximately two hours. 14th Street West was closed to traffic in both directions for the same time period.
The cause of the fire is due to the improper extinguishment of smoking materials. The damage was contained to the unit of origin. Damage is estimated at $100,000.
“If you must smoke, ALWAYS ensure smoking materials are properly extinguished and ashes are stored in a non-combustible container,” said, Phil Eagleson, Owen Sound’s Fire Chief.
