FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
According to the National Fire Protection Association, smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths nationally, and smoking-related fires remain one of the leading causes of residential fires within the City of Springfield. In 2020, five of the seven fire fatalities in Springfield were related to careless smoking. The Fire Department has already responded to three fires resulting from careless smoking in 2021.
To keep you and your family safe, the Springfield Fire Department recommends these safety tips if you smoke:
- Never leave lit cigarettes or charging electronic cigarettes unattended.
- Use deep sturdy ashtrays with a stable base, such as a table, that is difficult to tip over.
- Do not discard cigarettes in potted plants, landscaping, dried grass, leaves, or other things that can easily ignite.
- Never smoke in bed or while drowsy!
- Smoke outside. Most fire fatalities result from fires that are started in living rooms, family rooms, or bedrooms.
- Never smoke or allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster, hotter rate.
- Do not smoke around flammable liquids such as gasoline or oil-soaked rags.
- Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials out of the reach of children.
- Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Warm ashes dumped in waste cans can smolder for hours, then ignite into fire.
View this public service announcement about careless smoking:
Working smoke alarms save lives. Smoke alarms should be installed and maintained in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of your home, including your basement. Working smoke alarms give you the early warning to get outside safely!
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For media only: For more information, call the Springfield Fire Department media line at 417-874-2301.