Firefighters warn of smoking nightmares

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is warning people about the dangers of smoking after three fires over the weekend.

Two of the blazes resulted in casualties and all three were caused by smoking materials.

A third of all deaths from fires in the home are caused by cigarettes. Smoking is the single biggest killer in accidental fires in the home, often because of careless behaviour such as smoking in bed, or not taking care after drinking alcohol.

Some 288 fires have been caused by smoking materials in Cheshire over the last three years.

When smokers fall asleep with a lit cigarette in hand, their proximity to the resulting fire seriously lowers their chance of escaping in time.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is 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 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.

Keith Brooks, the Service's Head of Community Safety and Community Fire Protection said:
"Every six days, someone dies from a fire caused by cigarettes or smoking materials. Despite a fall in the overall number of fires caused by these products, it's still the biggest killer in accidental fires in the home across the country.

"Every smoker should wake up to the risks they take every time they light up, and drop the habit of smoking whilst in bed or under the influence of alcohol. The risk of falling asleep before you 'put it out, right out' is just too great.

"Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke can render you unconscious, so invest in a working smoke alarm and test it monthly. It can give you the extra time you need to escape if the worst should happen."

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