Smouldering cigarette behind Winona fire that caused $7 million in damages

An investigation into a fire that engulfed 11 townhomes in Winona last summer was caused by discarded smoking material," the Office of the Fire Marshal concluded.

The final report into the massive July 27, 2020 fire, which caused upwards of $7 million in damage, found the blaze was accidental.

It was just a really bad, perfect storm," OFM supervisor Manny Garcia said of the conditions that led to such destruction. This includes the time of night, location of the fire and high winds, he said.

The fire began when a cigarette was left in a planter at the back of 49 Edenrock Dr., the investigation found. Garcia said this is a common mistake that leads to fires, but in this case, the damage was uncommonly large.

The materials used in planters, including vermiculite and peat moss, can insulate a lit cigarette and cause it to smoulder.

Garcia said the planter probably smouldered for hours before the fire grew to flames that spread to siding and up onto the roof. Once on the roof, it quickly crawled across the roofline to neighbouring homes.

It was the middle of the night - the 911 call was around 2:40 a.m. - so no one was awake to catch sight of the fire earlier, he said. Since the fire was basically exterior, smoke alarms would not have sounded until the fire spread through the attic into the homes, so there was no early warning, Garcia said.

The townhouses had working smoke alarms and were built to code. While this often stops fires from spreading quickly between townhomes, it doesn't stop a fire that's spreading on the roof, which is made of mostly flammable material.

There were also very strong winds that night, so once the fire was going, it was quickly blown across rooftops.

Garcia recalled firefighters and police running from door-to-door to rouse people, just one step ahead of the flames.

Residents described waking to screams from their neighbours in the street and banging on doors. Everyone escaped without injury, but the houses were soon destroyed before their eyes.

In the aftermath of the fire, the community rallied to support those affected, including through fundraising, donations of clothes, toiletries and other goods, and several restaurants offering free meals.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com