CARELESS SMOKING COULD COST YOU OVER £25,000

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is supporting the national Fire Kills "Put it out, right out!" campaign that is on TV, radio and online at the moment to remind smokers to extinguish smoking materials (cigarettes, cigars etc) fully.

Nearly a third of all households in England include a smoker and these households are nearly 35% more likely to have a fire than non-smoking homes. In the UK between 2000 and 2005 there were on average 120 deaths per year in accidental home fires caused by smoking materials.

Station Officer Steve Wright said "Between 01 January 2001 & 31 December 2006, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service has attended 323 Accidental Dwelling Fires, resulting in 4 Deaths, 17 Rescues and 89 Non-fatal injuries all caused by Smoking materials."

"I hope that people will be extra vigilant after seeing/hearing the adverts . A smouldering cigarette is the biggest cause of fatal fires, causing one third of all deaths from fires in the home. We know that these fires are more likely to start during the night and that some of the most common places for them to start are sofas, beds and carpets."

"A cigarette burns at up to 700 C. So make sure when you put it out, it really is out. That final check could save your and your family's life".

Fires caused by cigarettes can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions. These include:

'¢ Put it out, right out '“ make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished

'¢ Take extra care when you're tired, taking drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It's very easy to fall asleep without realising that your cigarette is still burning.

'¢ Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don't light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire.

'¢ Never leave lit cigarettes cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down, land on a carpet or newspaper and start a fire.

'¢ Where possible buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes - every year children die by starting fires with matches and lighters.

'¢ Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over easily and is made of a material that won't burn.

'¢ Tap your ash into an ashtray '“ never a wastebasket '“ and don't let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray.

'¢ Ensure that you have a working smoke alarm - when a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service offers a Home Safety Visit service. Fire and Rescue personnel would like to make an appointment to visit your home and discuss fire safety issues and, where you do not have Smoke Alarms, they will supply and fit FREE Smoke Alarm(s).

To request a visit call us FREE on 0800 177 7069

For more information about fire safety, visit www.firekills.gov.uk