Letter From Community Manager On Minor Damage Caused By Cigarette

You may have recently noticed the box with Butt Boxes for cigarette remains that have been placed in the lobby. They are free for the taking, please use them! What you also may not know is that one of our buildings recently suffered damage from an improperly discarded cigarette butt. Please take a moment to read this letter from Sara, our Community Manager:

Dear Residents,

As you may be aware, there was a small balcony fire at Lexington Heights last week. Fortunately the fire was caught in time and there was no damage, other than some burned boards on a few third-floor and second-floor balconies.

The Mendota Heights Fire Department provided us with their official report today, indicating the cause of the fire to be that of an abandoned or discarded cigarette.

The cigarette butt then smoldered until the wood on the deck ignited.

Everyone is very fortunate that the fire was caught in its early stages. Should that not have been the case, it is likely that the damage would have been much more severe and risked the homes and lives of many of our residents.

We understand that this fire was not caused intentionally. However, we have handed out a significant amount of information on the proper disposal of cigarette butts, as well as other fire hazards, in the past few years. It is imperative that every resident conducts themselves in a manner that is non-hazardous to other residents and to the property.

A box of Butt Buckets personal cigarette disposal containers has been placed in the lobby of your building. Please pick one up for your use if you smoke in your apartment or on your deck. Take an extra for your car—they fit in the cup holder!

Remember never to put a cigarette out in a flower or plant container, including those at the main entry of each building. Potting soil contains many combustible ingredients. Also never throw cigarette butts off your balcony or out of your car window. This is particularly important with the dry weather conditions we have this year, and you can’t predict where that cigarette will land. Always fully extinguish cigarettes and dispose of them properly.

Please help us to prevent fires! We can’t do this without everyone’s cooperation. Your safety and security, and that of your neighbors, depends on it greatly.

Thank you,

Sara Sachs
Community Manager