Avon Fire & Rescue Service has shared key safety advice to help people across Bath stay safe at home as part of their ongoing work to promote fire prevention.
The fire service is reminding smokers to ‘Put it Out, Right Out’ whenever they light a cigarette, to install smoke alarms on every level of the home and to test them regularly.
Without a working smoke alarm, you are at least eight times more likely to die in an accidental fire in the home.
Steve Quinton, Temporary Area Manager for Prevention and Protection said: “Fires ignited by cigarettes or smoking materials result in more fatalities than any other fire.
“Despite a fall in the overall number of fires caused by these products, it’s still the biggest cause of accidental fires in the home across the country.”
Simple steps can help prevent a cigarette fire in the home. These include:
- 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 at least monthly. 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.
Quitting is the best way to remove the fire risk. The NHS has many stop-smoking services, which are free, friendly and can massively boost your chances.
More information can be found here.
Steve added: “Some people choose to use e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’ whilst giving up smoking. Be aware that these items often contain lithium-ion batteries and so care must be taken to charge and use them safely.
“Always buy chargers from reputable retailers, never leave items charging when you’re asleep or away from the home, and regularly check your chargers and devices for damage.”