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Simple steps to help prevent a cigarette fire in the home

Published
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (GFRS) is reminding smokers to ‘Put it Out, Right Out’ whenever they light up, to help reduce fires in the home.

Fires caused by smoking products kill more people than fires caused by any other item. By taking simple steps, such as not smoking while tired, using a proper and secure ashtray and stubbing cigarettes out properly, this can greatly reduce the risk of an accidental fire breaking out.

To help you keep safe, GFRS is also reminding smokers to install smoke alarms on every level of the home and to test them regularly. Without a working smoke alarm, you are at least eight times more likely to die in an accidental fire in the home.

Other tips to follow to keep safe include:

  • Never smoke in bed. It’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight.
  • Never smoke when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If your lit cigarette starts a fire, you could be less able to escape.
  • Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended – they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
  • Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn.

For advice specific to you and your home, visit HFSC (safelincs.co.uk) and complete your own home fire safety check.

The best way to remove any fire risk, as well as to improve your health, is to stop smoking. You can get support to quit from Gloucestershire Healthy Lifestyles Service.

It’s free and you’re four times more likely to do it with their support than trying alone – 75 per cent of people who’ve used the service have become smoke-free. You can contact them on 0800 755 553 or email glicb.hlsglos@nhs.net

Nathaniel Hooton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fires ignited by cigarettes or smoking materials result in more fatalities than any other fire. Despite a fall in the overall number of fires caused by these products, it’s still the biggest cause of accidental fires in the home across the country.

“Every smoker should be aware of the risks they take every time they light up and drop the habit of smoking indoors, especially in bed, or under the influence of alcohol. The risk of falling asleep before you ‘put it out, right out’ is just too great.

“You should also make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and test them at least monthly. Working smoke alarms can give you the extra time you need to escape if the worst should happen.”