A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has told smokers vaping is a “safer option.”
Fire fighters were called to a fire on Cann Hall Road in Leytonstone in East London on Friday morning, as a shop beneath some flats had burst into flames.
Passersby raised the alarm after seeing smoke billowing from the retail unit.
The London Fire Brigade worked tirelessly to get the ground floor blaze under control. It’s thought that the unit was unoccupied at the time and was undergoing renovation.
A spokesperson for the Fire Brigade told local media that a cigarette flicked onto the floorboards likely caused the fire, saying:
“Cigarettes are a leading cause of house fires but so many people fail to ensure they are stubbed out properly. Never leave cigarettes unattended and always ensure ashtrays are carefully emptied with all the debris. We’d rather people didn’t smoke at all but if you do, vaping is a safer option in terms of preventing fires.”
This is the second London fire this week which is thought to have been sparked by a discarded cigarette. Earlier this week, four fire engines and 25 firefighters responded to a balcony ablaze on Sherard Road, Eltham.
