An improperly discarded cigarette sparked a fire that damaged the outside of a Vancouver car dealership, along with vehicles and auto parts.
The fire was reported at 2:12 p.m. Sunday at 6801 N.E. 40th St. The fire most likely started in a cardboard bin containing heating, cooling and air conditioning filters that then spread to nearby vehicles and the building, said Chris Drone, a lead deputy fire marshal with the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.
“It never did get inside the structure,” he said.
Damage to the building, the vehicles and vehicle parts was estimated at $40,000.
Drone said people should smoke only in designated areas and put out their cigarettes in approved containers.
