Fire Investigators say careless smoking to blame in fatal Smiths Falls fire

Smiths Falls police say emergency crews were called to 80-82 Victoria Ave. just after 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. The fire was contained to a unit on the third floor.

Careless smoking is to blame for a fire that killed a 53-year old Smiths Falls man.

Investigators with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office (OFM) say Doug Buffam died after falling asleep while smoking in bed.

Buffam’s third floor apartment went up in flames around 1:30 Monday morning.   Firefighters managed to contain the blaze to the third floor of the six-unit building.

“It appears that he was sleeping in bed when the fire was discovered,” says OFM Lead Investigator Jason Williams, “he tried to suppress the fire but wasn’t able to do so and he wasn’t able to escape from his unit.”

Buffam died later in Smiths Falls hospital.

Williams says the fire is a tragic reminder of the dangers surrounding careless smoking, “the hazards associated with smoking and smoking in bed unfortunately is too common of an occurrence, a large portion of fatal fires in Ontario are related to smoking.”

The seven other residents of the building have all been displaced.