The City of Winnipeg is reminding people that plant pots should never be used as an ashtray following a fire on Ross Avenue Monday morning.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service went to the one-storey residence in the 600 block of Ross Avenue around 4:10 a.m. and found a fire outside the home that was extending into a suite.

Crews got the fire under control just before 4:40 a.m.

Firefighters helped one person get out of a suite, but no one was hurt. No damage estimates are available right now.

The city said the fire seems to have been caused accidentally by a cigarette butt that wasn’t disposed of correctly.

Residents are reminded that potting soil uses combustible organic materials, such as peat moss and shredded wood.

The city explained that when a butt is placed in a planter it can smolder for a number of hours. If the container heats up it can crack, giving oxygen to the smoldering material, which can then spread to other combustibles such as decks and balconies.

Residents are reminded to extinguish smoking materials in an ashtray or deep metal container, and to never throw butts from car windows or dispose of them near any vegetation.