A cigarette butt dropped on a couch has been blamed for an apartment blaze in Melbourne's west, as firefighters pleaded for smokers to quit to prevent fires.
Neighbours reported the blaze at the Braybrook property on Friday at 6.17am with firefighters bringing it under control within 10 minutes.
The batteries in two smoke alarms had been removed, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said.
"For those who smoke, it's vital to ensure that cigarette butts are disposed of correctly because they can easily cause a fire," MFB acting deputy chief officer Ken Brown said.
"These fires can have significant impacts on property and endanger lives.
"Had they (the residents) gone to bed with no working smoke alarms the outcome may have been very different."
The blaze came as the MFB announced it had teamed up with Quit Victoria to urge smokers to stop, citing health risks and the threat of sparking fires.
Five people also had a lucky escape late last year from a Melbourne property fire that was started by a cigarette, the MFB stated.
On average crews attend more than 10 fires a month across Melbourne caused by cigarettes, chief officer Dan Stephens said on Friday.
Quit Victoria director Sarah White said poorly discarded cigarettes had the potential to spark devastating bushfires and the best solution was to stop smoking.
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