Improperly discarded smoking material is being blamed for a fire at a commercial business in South River.
Early yesterday afternoon the South River Machar Fire Department and the Sundridge Strong Fire Department responded to the fire and It was determined by the investigation the cause.
"The first arriving fire department apparatus arrived on the scene two minutes and 43 seconds after the initial 911 call was received," says Chief Risto Maki.
The fire department made entry into the structure and was able to contain the fire to the area the fire originated.
The combined automatic aid response from both SSFD and SRMFD included 5 apparatus and 12 firefighters. Additional crews were staged at the SSFD hall to assist in the event there were any additional calls for service in the communities.
The South River Machar Fire Department would like to remind residents to ensure to extinguish cigarettes in a metal container, not in plant pots or on the ground, and to encourage smokers to smoke outside.
