Safety tips
- If you smoke, smoke outside.
- Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
- Before you throw out butts and ashes, make sure they are out, and dousing in water or sand is the best way to do that.
NFPA’s Lisa Braxton has a few safety tips to keep in mind if you’re a smoker.
Facts & figures
- In 2011, there were an estimated 90,000 smoking-material fires in the United States.These fires caused 540 civilian deaths, 1,640 civilian injuries and $621 million in direct property damage.
- One out of four fatal victims of smoking-material fires is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire.
- Most deaths result from fires that started in bedrooms (40%), or in living rooms, family rooms or dens (35%).
- Nearly half (46%) fatal home smoking-material fire victims were age 65 or older.
Source: NFPA’s “The Smoking-Material Fire Problem” report