Fire Safety Tips about Smoking

Smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths in the home.  One out of four fatal victims of smoking material fires is not the smoker who started the fire but an innocent bystander.  If you choose to smoke, Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch offers these safety tips.  “All smoking material fires are preventable.  If you smoke, smoke outside.  Most deaths result from fires that are started in living rooms, family rooms, or in the bedroom.  Never smoke in bed.  Keep cigarettes, lighters, matches, and other smoking materials up high out of the reach of children.  Never empty smoking materials directly into a trash can.  Do not discard cigarettes in vegetation such as mulch, potted plants, landscaping, peat moss, dry grasses, leaves, or other things that could ignite easily.  Never smoke or allow anyone to smoke where medical oxygen is used.  Medical oxygen can cause materials to ignite more easily and make fires burn at a faster rate than normal.  It can make an existing fire burn hotter and faster.  Electronic cigarettes are on the rise.  Fires have occurred while e-cigarettes were being used, the battery was being charged, or the device was being transported.  Battery failures have led to small explosions.  Charge the device as directed by the manufacturer and only use the charger supplied with your device.  Never leave charging e-cigarettes unattended.”  Please follow this fire safety advice if you choose to smoke so you don’t put innocent bystanders at risk.