This month Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is encouraging residents across the county to put it right out and dispose of their smoking products carefully.
Smoking related fires are the are responsible for a quarter of all fatalities in accidental domestic fires. However, by following a few simple steps, you can drastically reduce the risk of smoking causing a fire in your home.
Gail Muirhead, Prevention Manager at RBFRS says, “Smoking related fires are the biggest killers when it comes to accidental fires in the home. Often, these fires are caused when people don’t properly put their cigarettes out before binning them.
“You can help keep your home safe by using a proper ashtray made of material that won’t burn. Make sure your ashtray is on a solid surface so it can’t be easily knocked over and give your cigarettes time to cool off before binning them.
“Always ensure your cigarettes are extinguished and disposed of correctly. Put it out. Right out.”
If you or someone in your home smokes, follow our simple steps to prevent a fire from starting in your home:
- Stub out cigarettes and other smoking products properly and dispose of them carefully.
- Smoking outdoors is safer than smoking indoors. Just a single piece of fallen ash can start a fire.
- Use a proper ashtray made for that purpose. Never use a wastepaper basket.
- Make sure your ashtray is on a flat, stable surface so it can’t tip over.
- Make sure your ashtray is made of a material that won’t burn.
- Never smoke in bed.
- Take extra care if you are smoking when you’re tired, taking medication or have been drinking alcohol.
- Do not smoke if you use emollient creams and there is any chance that your clothing, furnishings or dressings could have dried emollient residue on them. Emollient creams can significantly increase the flammability of fabrics when absorbed into materials.
- Never leave lit cigarettes and other smoking products unattended. They can easily start a fire.
- Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children.
- Consider buying child-resistant lighters and matchboxes.
For more information, please see the smoking fire safety advice on our website.