West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is supporting the national Fire Kills campaign throughout April to highlight smoking fire risks.
It is a stark fact that nationally a third of all deaths in fires in the home are caused by cigarettes.
In the 2015 calendar year there were 14 deaths following accidental fires in homes across West Yorkshire – 11 of which were caused by smoking materials.
Area Manager for Fire Safety, Ian Bitcon, said: “Last year we saw a tragic and concerning spike in the number of fatal fires caused by smoking materials so we are very eager to make sure the national Fire Kills campaign hits home within West Yorkshire.
“Whilst modern cigarettes are designed to burn in such a way that they are less likely to cause a fire, the simple fact is that, in the right conditions, even these cigarettes will start a fire relatively easily and a large number of the fires that we see are caused by counterfeit or roll-up cigarettes.
“With that in mind it really is important that people understand the risk and make sure that cigarettes are properly extinguished.”
Smoking is the single biggest killer in accidental fires in the home nationally, often because of behaviour such as smoking in bed or not taking care after drinking alcohol.
When smokers fall asleep with a lit cigarette in hand, their proximity to the resulting fire seriously lowers their chance of making an escape.
AM Ian Bitcon added: “In addition to fatalities, almost 200 people have been injured in fires started by smoking materials across West Yorkshire in the last five years.
“We are reminding smokers to ‘Put it Out, Right Out’ whenever they light up; to install smoke alarms on every level of the home; and, to test them on the 1st of every month.
“Without a working smoke alarm you are at least four times more likely to die in an accidental fire in the home.”
These simple steps can help prevent a cigarette fire in the home:
- Never smoke in bed. Take care when you’re tired – it’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight
- Never smoke indoors when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If your lit cigarette starts a fire you could be less able to escape.
- Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
- Fit a smoke alarm and test it weekly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999.
- 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.
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