10 Fire Safety Tips for Smokers

Smoking is a bad habit for more than health reasons. In the past decade, smoking has been the cause of hundreds of fires at home (or otherwise) in Canada. However, smoking-related home fires can be prevented by exercising proper caution. Here are essential smoking fire prevention tips for homeowners:

1. 1. Using fire-safe cigarettes (FSCs) – Fire-safe cigarettes are designed to extinguish more quickly than standard cigarettes if ignored. Cigarettes that are fire standards-compliant have the “FSC” letters above the barcode.
2. 2. Smoking outside only – As most smoking-related fires occur in living rooms and bedrooms, it is best to smoke outside. Cigarette butts or ashes can ignite many things in a home, such as curtains, beds, books, etc.
3. 3. Not smoking in bed – Those who smoke in bed might fall asleep while their cigarette is still lit. If the cigarette falls, the mattress and bedding can easily catch fire.
4. 4. Smoking away from medical oxygen – This is never a good idea as it can cause materials to catch on fire quickly and makes fires burn faster than normal.
5. 5. Keeping children away from smoking materials – To prevent children from playing with cigarettes, matches or lighters, these smoking materials should be kept out of their reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
6. 6. Extinguishing cigarettes completely – Cigarettes should be doused with water or sand to make sure they are put out all the way. Before discarding cigarette butts and ashes in the trash, they should be doused with water again.
7. 7. Using deep, sturdy ashtrays that can’t easily tip over – Ashtrays should be placed on level surfaces, outside the home. Also, water or sand should be put in them to ensure cigarette butts are completely extinguished.
8. 8. Not smoking when tired – Those who feel sleepy or tired, or have taken medicine that makes one drowsy, may not be able to exercise proper caution when smoking.
9. 9. Not throwing cigarettes in vegetation – Dry vegetation, such as mulch, peat moss and leaves, can catch fire when they come in contact with fresh cigarette butts.
10. 10. Using electronic cigarettes with caution – Electronic cigarette usage also presents safety risks. Most e-cigarettes use lithium batteries, and using them improperly may result in accidents. E-cigarettes that are charging should always be supervised.

Candles are also a common fire risk in homes and should be used with caution. Here are candle fire safety rules for homeowners. To learn more information about home fire prevention, here are the 8 most common causes of home fires. The PuroClean team stands ready to provide professional restoration services to any property affected by fire, water or mould damage.

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