The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says that crews fought two fires overnight, one beside a family home and the other in a garage.

WFPS responded to a call in the 200 block of Watt Street at 2:24 a.m. Once arriving, crews discovered a garage fully engulfed in flames. They also noticed the fire was extending past the garage, reaching nearby utility poles.

A nearby home was evacuated our of precaution.

Crews began fighting the fire, declaring it under control by 2:41 a.m.

The second fire occurred in the first block of Vale Place. Crews arrived at 2:58 a.m. to discover an outdoor fire that was reaching to the exterior of the home. 

The residents of the single-family home had previously evacuated, allowing the WFPS crew to battle the fire bringing it under control.

The WFPS is determining the fire to be accidental. They believe a cigarette butt was disposed of in a planter, causing the fire.

The WFPS is reminding residents that soil is combustible due to peat moss, shredded wood, and minerals that can be found in the mixture. Once a butt is placed in a planter, the WFPS says the fire can smoulder for several hours, potentially causing a crack in the planter, spilling the contents and spreading the combustible soil.

Residents are being reminded to never dispose of butts by throwing them off of balconies, from car windows, or disposing them near grassy or bush areas. The WFPS recommends butts to be disposed of in ashtrays or in deep metal containers.