1 Cigarette Caused Edmonton Condo Fire

SuperFantastic/Flickr

My housemate's cigarette. He was out front smoking while I was watering so I took the opportunity to get close.

EDMONTON - A massive condo fire in Edmonton that has left hundreds of people homeless and caused more than $16 million damage all started with one cigarette.

Fire chief Ken Block says investigators blame the fire on “improperly disposed smoking material.”

The fire destroyed most of the four-storey condo complex in east Edmonton on Friday night.

Block says it’s “extremely fortunate” that nobody died.

He calls the fire “devastating” and “completely preventable.”

Residents are being allowed back into the condo complex starting today to look around and seize personal belongings.

LOOK:

Carelessly tossed cigarette caused condo fire in Edmonton: http://t.co/8J576LLeyB pic.twitter.com/YU9zqzMOrf

— Watch CTV News (@WatchCTVNews) May 26, 2015

Here's a look at the destruction from the #Clareview condo fire http://t.co/gPLFmRhDlc #yeg pic.twitter.com/Dz6kQ627OE
— Caley Ramsay (@CaleyRamsay) May 23, 2015

Large fire burning in northeast Edmonton condo complex http://t.co/j6pv9kQodL pic.twitter.com/FWaXmPSo4L
— Edmonton Journal (@edmontonjournal) May 22, 2015