Firefighters respond to second smoking-pot incident in two days (2 photos)

A neighbour of an apartment tenant on the 100 block of Breton Road put out a pot of French fries that caught fire Sunday evening said Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services Platoon Chief Richard Pihlaja.

Pihlaja said a 911 call came in around 7:45 p.m. and by the time firefighters arrived on scene, the neighbour had put the fire out with a dry chemical fire extinguisher.

He said firefighters carried two cats out of the apartment, ventilated it, and there were no known injuries or damage to the building.

Pihlaja said the cause of the fire was an unattended pot French fries on the stove.

“Keep an eye on what you fry,” said Pihlaja, with a public safety message. “Don’t leave unattended cooking.”

He mentioned an alternative to using a fire extinguisher was to put a lid on the pot and shut off the element but only when it’s safe to do so.

“But always call 911 first,” he said.

On Friday evening firefighters responded to a similar call at an apartment building just around the corner.