LYNN – A shed on the corner of Iona Terrace and Essex Street caught fire Thursday night.
Shortly before 8 p.m., a lit cigarette was dropped in brush that caught on fire and extended flames to the side of the shed, according to Lynn Fire Capt. Joseph Zukas.
The shed was located near four buildings, none of which were damaged. There were no injuries and the incident was classified as a minor fire, Zukas said.
The fire was extinguished within minutes due to the rapid response of the Fayette Street fire station, which is only a few blocks away, Zukas said, noting that the fire had the potential to be more devastating, given the proximity of the nearby homes.
“The fire department made a great stop and prevented a tragedy,” Zukas said.
He said that the incident is a classic example of the benefits of strategically placing fire stations throughout the city for quick reaction times, noting that this is of paramount importance.
Many of the recent fires in the city were caused by smoking cigarettes, Zukas said.
In 2008, a law was established in Massachusetts requiring that only “fire-safe” cigarettes be sold in the state. The paper on these “fire-safe” cigarettes is thicker in two spots, so they will go out on their own if not puffed when they burn to these areas. The intention of these cigarettes is to prevent fires caused when they are left unattended.
Consumers, however, say that the “fire-safe” brands taste different and can extinguish a cigarette before a smoker is done smoking it, according to a report by Fox News. Since that law, data shows that unintentional cigarette fires have decreased.
Zukas believes that people are still selling and purchasing regular cigarettes that are not “fire-safe”, thus resulting in fires throughout the city that were caused by lit cigarettes.
He said that the fire could have spread to four or five homes if it wasn’t noticed so quickly and if the response time — about three minutes — of the firefighters had been extended.
Firefighters were on scene for about 30 minutes and the department’s Fire Investigation Unit also responded.
