The haunting truth about smoking-related fires
March 20, 2023
After more than 40 years in the fire service, State Fire Marshal Jim Smith will
never forget one of his early calls.
A passerby spotted flames in a living room window and called 911. Smith was among the firefighters who arrived and quickly put out the fire. During the search of the home, the firefighters entered the bedroom and found the lifeless body of the person who lived there lying on the floor.
The cause of the fire: a lit cigarette that had fallen between two couch cushions. The homeowner didn't even smoke. The living room that was now a burnt mess had been filled with laughter and joy the night before as the homeowner hosted a birthday party. One of the guests must have carelessly discarded a cigarette at the party, but we will never know which one. However, for the rest of their life, someone will hold a guilt that will never be erased. “Was it me?" “Was I the one who dropped my cigarette?" “Was I the cause of the fire that killed my friend?"
Smoking can kill you in more ways than one. There were 67 fatal fires in Minnesota in 2021, and a carelessly discarded cigarette caused 35 percent of them.
“These deaths are often happening to vulnerable people. That's why we are asking family members and anyone in contact with older smokers to look in on them and help them be safe," Smith said.
Be especially careful if you are drinking or consuming other intoxicants. Out of the 88 people who died in smoking-related fires between 2011 and 2020, 43 percent had a measurable blood-alcohol content.
“I was a smoker for 30 years. I know how hard it is to quit," Smith said.
But it's not hard to prevent smoking-related fires. It's not hard to make sure your smoke alarms are working properly. And it's not hard to talk to your loved ones who smoke and ask them to do these things:
- Smoke outside.
- Dispose of cigarettes in a sturdy container filled with sand or water.
- Never smoke while using medical oxygen or in a home where medical oxygen is being used.
Year after year, people die in preventable smoking-related fires. These simple steps can keep them alive.
