Features

Expensive butt 

A South Berkeley apartment dweller—and a landlord—learned an old but important lesson last Tuesday: Make sure that your cigarette is out before tossing it in the trash. 

Deputy Fire Chief David Orth said firefighters were summoned to an apartment at 1629 63rd St. at four minutes after midnight because a smoldering butt had ignited the contents of a kitchen trash can. 

The fire was quickly extinguished but not before causing $1,000 in damage to the dwelling and another $100 in damage to contents. Most of the damage was confined to kitchen cabinetry, Orth said.