Fire Chief: 'Don't Use Flower Pots For Ash Trays'
EAGAN, Minn. (WCCO) -- A restaurant fire in Eagan has prompted a warning to smokers.
Eagan fire chief Mike Scott says smoldering cigarette butts caused the fire that shut down the Cherokee Sirloin Room early Sunday -- and he has a message for smokers.
"Don't use flower pots for ash trays. I've been fire chief for about six years and I can easily say that that's been the No. 1 cause of fires that I've seen in the last six years," Scott said.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Steve Murphy Reports
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Scott said potting soil is combustible.
The cigarette butts were left in a flower pot on the second level of an outdoor deck.
The exterior of the restaurant received heavy damage.
The Cherokee Sirloin Room is closed but the owners plan to reopen after repairs.
