TO mark National No Smoking Day yesterday, 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 depend on it.”

The best way of protecting yourself and others in your home from this risk is to give up smoking altogether; failing that, only ever smoke outside.

If you have to smoke indoors, remember:

  • Make sure cigarettes, cigars and pipes are properly extinguished when you have finished
  • Don’t leave lit cigarettes unattended.
  • Never smoke in bed.
  • Use a proper ashtray that won’t tip over easily • Never tap ash into a wastepaper basket.
  • Empty ashtrays frequently
  • For further home fire safety advice, visit www.wiltsfire.gov.uk