Poorly discarded cigarette butts ignite house fire, causing over $1M damage

A heavy fire and thick smoke shoot from a home on Lynden Street in Collingwood, Ont., on Sun., July 20, 2025.

Collingwood’s fire chief says cigarette butts tossed in a garbage can caused $1 million in damage to a home and displaced several people.

Emergency crews responded to the call around 10 p.m. Sunday night on Lynden Street and arrived to find heavy smoke and flames shooting from the house.

Firefighters were able to quickly contain the blaze.

Due to the damage estimate, the Ontario Fire Marshal has been notified. It’s unclear if an investigator will be sent to inspect the situation.

There were no pets in the home and no injuries were reported.

The fire chief says six people have been displaced as a result of the fire.