Janesville Fire Inspector Jeff Bowen says four fires this year were caused by improperly disposing smoking materials outside. Bowen says the fires include the million dollar loss at an apartment building in the 1400 block of Morningside Drive. The irony isn’t lost on Bowen. He says smoking outside typically isn’t considered a hazard. One problem is plastic receptacles used for cigarette butts are flammable themselves, not emptied often enough, and placed to close to structures. Another problem is smokers discarding their cigarette buts near flammable materials like dry grass or leaves.
