Hospital smoking area goes up in flames

The incident has prompted a safety warning from fire officials

Fire officials are asking Sault Area Hospital patients to make sure they butt out properly after firefighters were called out Tuesday night to hose down a 'medium-sized' fire just off the hub trail.

Firefighters responded to the fire call just after 8 p.m. Tuesday night. The fire was big enough that firefighters needed to use a hose to put it out, said Deputy Fire Chief Peter Johnson.

It was unclear whether the the fire was started by an unextinguished cigarette butt, or whether it was deliberately set, he said.

But Johnson said the area is 'littered' with cigarette butts and occurred in an area just off the Hub trail known to be frequented by hospital patients and staff who are not permitted to light up on SAH property.

"If you're smoking, ensure your cigarettes are extinguished properly," said Johnson.