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Careless smoking suspected in Sister Leila Greco Apartments fire

St. Joseph's Care Group says it's taking action to reduce the chance of another fire.
Sister Leila Greco fire
Fire caused by a carelessly-discarded cigarette is believed to have caused a fire on June 2, 2020 outside the Sister Leila Greco apartments (Patty Bates photo)

THUNDER BAY — A fire at the Sister Leila Greco supportive housing apartment building on Lillie Street on Tuesday has been traced to careless smoking.

"The fire was likely caused by the careless disposal of a cigarette in the area that is clearly marked as a non-smoking zone,"  St. Joseph's Care Group said in a statement Wednesday.

Just before 5 p.m., smoke was observed in The Link, the structure that connects the eight-storey apartment building with Hogarth Riverview Manor long-term care home.

Hundreds of senior citizens reside in the two buildings.

No tenants were forced to leave because of the fire, and there were no injuries.

Thunder Bay Fire Rescue contained the fire to a portion of the exterior after removing a section of siding to gain access to burning foam insulation.

They then used fans to remove smoke that had been drawn inside.

Multiple cigarette butts were found outside near where the fire started.

Byron Ball, Vice-President of Infrastructure and Planning for SJCG, said the management team will have a debrief about the incident but has already decided on a couple of actions.

River rock will be placed in a garden beside the building that currently contains wood chips. 

Ball said there may be other changes as well.

In addition, managers will reinforce existing practices and policies for working with tenants and clients to prevent smoking-related mishaps.

Smoking is only authorized in designated areas on St. Joseph's Care Group properties.




Gary Rinne

About the Author: Gary Rinne

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Gary started part-time at Tbnewswatch in 2016 after retiring from the CBC
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