Fire officials are blaming in the improper disposal of cigarette butts and ashes as the cause of a Thursday night fire on Park Avenue in Chatham.
Chatham-Kent Fire crews got the call shortly after 7:30 p.m. for the fire at a two-storey home on the south side of Park Avenue just west of Queen Street.
Crews from Stations 1 and 2 responded. Shen they arrived, they located the three occupants who had fled the home when they arrived.
Crews saw smoke and flames coming out the side of the house. Firefighters made entry to conduct an interior search and start attacking the fire.
The flames had gotten into the wall, ceiling, and concealed void spaces, making the effort to douse it more complex, officials said.
Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire as accidental, and related to the disposal of cigarette butts.
