Fire Service Issues warning to Smokers
| Published: 13th October 2007 12:39 |
GET YOUR FREE ASHTRAY
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging smokers to take extra care when smoking in the home.
Figures show that in Cambridgeshire since April 2003, 334 fires were started as a result of smoking materials such as cigarettes, cigars, lighters and pipes and around 190 of these were fires in the home. Out of the 190 fires in domestic premises, just under half (89) started in the bedroom, with 50 starting in the lounge.
The 334 fires caused by smoking materials resulted in five deaths, 58 people receiving injuries and 24 people needing rescuing by the fire service.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Lawrie Booth said: "Nearly a third of all households in England include a smoker and these households are nearly 35 per cent more likely to have a fire than non-smoking homes.
"We are urging people to be extra careful when smoking and to be aware of the increased risk smoking in the home poses. Smouldering cigarettes burn at up to 700°C and are the biggest causes of fatal fires in the UK. In Cambridgeshire, four out of the nine accidental fire deaths in the home we have tragically seen since April 2003 have been as a result of smoking materials.
"Fires from smoking materials are more likely to start during the night when people are tired and can easily fall asleep with the cigarette still lit. Common places for these fires to start are sofas, beds and carpets."
He continued: "All we are asking people to do is be extra careful. Use a sturdy ashtray and make sure when you put your cigarette out, it really is out. That final check could save you and your family's life. It is also important that you have a smoke alarm on each level of your home so if a fire does break out upstairs you are alerted sooner and have more chance of escaping unharmed."
Fires caused by cigarettes can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions. These include:
Put it out, right out - make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
Take extra care when you're tired or have been drinking alcohol. It's very easy to fall asleep without realising that your cigarette is still burning.
Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don't light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire.
Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down, land on a carpet or newspaper and start a fire.
Where possible buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes - every year children die by starting fires with matches and lighters.
Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over easily and is made of a material that won't burn.
Tap your ash into an ashtray - never a wastebasket - and don't let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray.
- Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - when a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. A working smoke alarm can give you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999. You can get a basic smoke alarm for the same price as a packet of cigarettes. Better still are those smoke alarms with long-life batteries or are mains-powered.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is giving out large, sturdy ashtrays to elderly smokers to help them stay safe from fire in their homes. They are given out as part of a home fire safety check, which are carried out for free by fire service personnel. If you would like a visit or you know someone who would benefit from one, contact your local fire station or ring 01480 444666.
For more information about fire safety, visit http://www.firekills.gov.uk/
DID YOU KNOW............
Statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Government, show that in the UK between 2000 and 2005 there were on average 120 deaths per year in accidental home fires caused by smoking materials.
All fires in Cambridgeshire started by smoking materials (not just in the home), broken down into districts, from April 2003 to present:
Cambridge - 85
East Cambs - 15
Fenland - 47
Huntingdonshire - 54
Peterborough - 99
South Cambs - 34
