Fire Service warning on No Smoking Day (From This Is Wiltshire)

To mark today’s National No Smoking Day, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has issued a reminder on the danger of lit cigarettes in the home.

Watch Manager Neil Chamberlain, from the community safety department, said: “Unfortunately, it is far too easy to accidentally leave a cigarette burning in an ashtray, or to fall asleep while smoking.

"It’s a sad fact that more people die in smoking material related fires than any other - while cigarettes are the cause of less than 10 per cent of all fires, they actually account for around a third of all fire deaths.”

He added: “A cigarette can burn at up to 700°C - imagine leaving something that hot on or next to a settee, bed, carpet or curtains.

"It is absolutely vital that you always make sure that cigarettes are properly extinguished - your life, and the lives of others in your home, could literally depend on it.”

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

• Never smoke in bed

• Never leave lit cigarettes lying around

• Always use a proper ashtray and make sure it can’t be knocked over

• Take special care when you are tired or when you’ve been drinking

• Keep matches and lighters away from children

• Make sure you have a working smoke alarm – and test it every week

For further home fire safety advice, visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk.