Abilene Finds Smoking Related Fires on the Rise

Despite a state law requiring that all cigarettes be “fire-safe,” structure fires attributed to smoking are on the rise in Abilene, city fire officials say.

“It’s doing its job when it comes to fire fatalities,” said Lt. John Brunett, an investigator with the Abilene Fire Department. “But on the other hand, we’re seeing more exterior fires.”

As of January 2009, all cigarettes sold in Texas must be certified fire-standard compliant, meaning that the cigarettes have a reduced propensity to burn when left unattended.

“It’s designed primarily for people sleeping in bed,” Brunett said.

Sleeping is the primary human factor contributing to fires started by unattended cigarettes and is believed to have caused about 31 percent of smoking-material fire deaths in the home, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

In Abilene, improperly discarded fire-safe cigarettes may be to blame in at least eight structure fires this year, AFD officials said.

Wind can keep fires going, even in fire-safe cigarettes, Brunett said. Cigarettes that are improperly discarded outside can burn much longer.

Fire-safe cigarettes still can be problematic “for us here in West Texas because the wind blows so much,” Brunett said.

“Obviously, property damage isn’t as significant as somebody dying,” he said, “but we’re still seeing an increase.”

Abilene fire marshals are discussing the possible trend in structure fires with the State Fire Marshal’s Office and are looking into whether the

“fire-safe” label is creating a false sense of security for smokers.

Indeed, the term “fire-safe” is a misnomer, according to the website of Philip Morris USA, which says that fire-standard compliant, or FSC, cigarettes are not “fire-safe” because anything that burns, if handled carelessly, can cause a fire.

Whatever they’re called, the cigarettes are believed to be a major reason for recent drops in fire fatalities and injuries, officials with the State Fire Marshal’s Office said.

In 2003, the officials said, several states began requiring that all cigarettes sold within their borders be fire-safe. By 2010, 47 states had such laws. By 2012, all states had laws requiring fire-safe cigarettes.

From 2003 to 2010, the number of civilian deaths in smoking-material fires fell by an average of 21 percent, according to the agency’s website at www.tdi.texas.gov/fire.

According to a 2013 National Fire Protection Association report, 540 civilian deaths in the United States were attributed to smoking-material fires in 2011, a number at or near the all-time low, Brunett said.

Proper Disposal

Although fire-standard compliant cigarettes may reduce the likelihood of a fire, safe smoking practices still must be used, both Brunett and the Fire Marshal’s Office said.

Some recommendations:

Smoke only outside and extinguish cigarettes in water or sand.

Use ashtrays that are deep and sturdy and place them on something that will not easily ignite, such as a table.

Never place ashtrays on sofas, chairs or beds.

Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away.

Never toss lit cigarettes or hot ashes into a trash can.

Never smoke in a house where oxygen is in use. Never smoke near an oxygen source, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive, causing a fire to burn hotter and faster.

Use personal ashtrays or the ashtray in your car to extinguish your cigarettes.

Don’t throw cigarettes from car windows.