Over the past five years, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service attended 152 smoking-related accidental house fires, including eight fatalities.
They have launched a campaign which focused on reducing fires caused by the two most common factors:
- Careless disposal of smoking materials
- Smoking while tired, asleep or otherwise losing awareness.
Through this campaign, they're encouraging people who smoke to take simple steps to reduce their risk of fire, including:
- Always fully extinguishing cigarettes before disposing of them
- Using a suitable ashtray and never allowing it to overflow
- Avoiding smoking in bed or on a sofa
- Not smoking when tired, drowsy, unwell, or after consuming alcohol or drugs
- Completing a free Online Home Fire Safety Check to identify ways to make your home safer.
For practical advice on reducing the risk of accidental fires caused by smoking, please visit:
Thank you for your support in helping us reduce smoking-related house fires and keep people safe in their homes.
