By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Improperly discarded cigarettes are being blamed for three fires in less than a week at a busy Hays intersection, highlighting the dangers of discarding cigarettes in the city.
Commerce Bank, 2200 Vine, sits at the intersection of two major Hays roads, 22nd and Vine streets, where travelers are often stopped for a traffic light.
"We have had three fires in less than a week in our mulch," said Commerce Bank Vice President Raymond Haas. "We had pretty good flames going."
Two of those fires occurred in two different locations in the bank's landscaping Wednesday.
"We had one right up front and one at our 22nd Street entrance," Haas said.
While the series of fires is concerning, the damage was limited to the landscaping, where new mulch was laid last week.
"The fires were able to be extinguished before any major damage," Haas said.
While no major damage occurred from the fires, he said he hopes area residents understand the dangers of not properly extinguishing cigarettes.
"If you are going to smoke a cigarette, put it out in your car. Don't throw it out the window," Haas said. "It can be very dangerous to do that."
Hays Fire Department Chief Ryan Hagans said fires started by discarded cigarettes are not common in Hays, but when hot summer weather can dry out mulch and grass, increasing the risk.
"Improperly discarded smoking materials could lead to fires that put our community at risk," Hagans said. "Please do not toss hot cigarette butts into spaces that have bushes, mulch or grassy areas."