Top Tips for Preventing Cigarette Fires

2/8/2021 (Permalink)

If you're going to light up a cigarette, take these precautions.

Tips To Protect Your Home From Cigarette Fires

One of the easiest to prevent types of home fires is one started by cigarettes. These fires are almost always the result of careless behaviors and stopping them can be as simple as learning how to be a more responsible smoker. Use the following tips to protect your home from cigarette fires when you or a guest are smoking.

By the Numbers
While cigarette smoking has waned in popularity, one might think that the threat of cigarette fires has all but disappeared. But cigarettes remain a top house fire cause, with serious results:

• Roughly 1,500 home fires occur in America daily
• 6,500 people die in home fires annually
  
  

Fortunately, making just a few changes can seriously minimize the chances of a cigarette or ashtray fire.

Never Smoke in Bed
One of the easiest ways to start a fire with cigarettes is by laying down to smoke. This is a recipe for disaster as your body relaxes and you drift off, dropping your cigarette onto flammable bedding. Stay upright and alert whenever you smoke.

Never Leave a Cigarette Unattended
It can be tempting to leave a cigarette in an ashtray for a quick second, while you run upstairs or outside. But don’t. Just a couple of seconds can be all it takes for a child or a pet to tip over an ashtray, spreading hot ashes onto couches, curtains and other flammable materials.

Never Ash in the Trash
Tipping your ashes into a trash can cause a fire if a burning piece of your cigarette contacts something like paper. Always ash your cigarettes in a sturdy, fireproof ashtray and be sure they’re completely out before tossing in the garbage.

Cigarette fires are still surprisingly common. Prevent them in your home by following the above tips. Or consider smoking outside to minimize the potential expense of property damage and fire cleanup, or the need for smoke odor removal.