By Corey Fischer

Tossed Cigarette Butt Fuels Frustration

Jul 13, 2017 | 12:47 PM

Smokers are being reminded to use their vehicle ashtrays, especially during this time of extreme fire hazard.

A tossed cigarette butt was the apparent cause of a fire in a ditch near the Emery Robbins Beach neighborhood on Westside Road Wednesday.

Resident Theresa Bru says fortunately a passing tanker truck saw the fire and put it out, but she says it could have been a disaster without that.

Bru says the Okanagan Indian Band fire department also responded to the fire.

“I couldn’t even sleep last night. All I could think about was, what if he had done it in the evening (when no one was around)? It could be a total different story with everything that is going on,” Bru tells Kiss FM.

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There are about 30 homes in that area.

Bru says they are trying to find out who the truck driver was that stopped and put it out, as they would like to thank him with a gift.

“We’re all trying to put it out there who the driver was, because in all that happened, we didn’t get a name. They were just so happy he did it. We want to give him a gift, because he potentially saved 30 homes,” says Bru who believes it was a cement truck that stopped.

Top photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Photo of tanker truck driver dousing the blaze courtesy of Theresa Bru

by Corey Fischer