FIREFIGHTERS are urging smokers butt out, with lit and improperly discarded cigarettes being a leading cause of house fire fatalities.
In 2020-21, 17 people died in preventable house fires, and in seven of the cases, smoking was a possible contributing factor. In total, firefighters across the state responded to more than 200 house fires sparked by smoking materials.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said smoking in bed or smoking while affected by alcohol, medication or other drugs dramatically increased your risk of dying in a house fire.
“Beds, couches and other soft furnishings are highly flammable, so if you fall asleep with a lit cigarette on these surfaces you could have just seconds to escape,” Chief Officer Heffernan said.
“Make sure you butt out your cigarettes and ensure they are fully extinguished before putting them in the bin, as rubbish and plants can and do ignite due to improperly discarded cigarettes.”
“Furthermore, smoking materials frequently cause bush and grassfires, so I urge all smokers to take the time to fully extinguish their cigarettes this summer.”
Acting commissioner Freeman said if people were going to smoke inside the house, they should install smoke alarms in every room.
“Only working smoke alarms will wake you up in the event of a house fire, providing crucial time to evacuate,” he said.
“It is also very important that lighters and matches are kept well away from children, as it is not uncommon for young children to accidentally spark major house fires with lighters and matches.”
