Carelessly discarded cigarette caused Vancouver fire that left 11 homeless

The aftermath of a fire on East Pender Street is seen on Oct. 8, 2024. (CTV News)

A carelessly discarded cigarette was the cause of a devastating fire in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood earlier this month, firefighters say.

The Oct. 7 blaze wrecked three homes in the 1000 block of East Pender Street and displaced 11 people, according to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services.

A cigarette butt was flicked at the back of one house, igniting combustibles in the area which then spread to trees and neighbouring homes, the department said in a social media post Wednesday revealing what sparked the massive fire.

“One cigarette butt, one ignition source can cause a lot of destruction,” Capt. Matthew Trudeau told CTV News. “Our reminder really here is the only source of discarding a cigarette butt or ignition source is in a metal container of water or sand, nothing else.”

VFRS says that smoking materials, which include cigarettes, are the most common cause of fires in Vancouver, making up 59 per cent of all blazes in 2023.