Cigarette fire
Firefighters are urging smokers to discard of smoking materials properly after a discarded cigarette caused a fire in a sheltered accommodation this morning.
Crews from Southend were initially called to an automatic fire alarm near Maple Square, Southend.
When firefighters entered the property they discovered a fire in one of the flats and rescued one person.
The resident was smoking and the cigarette had fallen down the side of their armchair.
Crew Manager Ricky Jones said: "This is the second incident we have attended this week where a cigarette which hasn't been discarded properly has started a fire. Luckily the property had working smoke alarms which notified people to call us.
"We’re urging smokers to ensure their cigarettes are properly extinguished, especially if smoking indoors. A lit cigarette can cause fires which can spread quickly. Fortunately, the fire was contained to the arm chair but any longer and it would have started spreading."
If you're a smoker or you have a smoker living in your home, make sure you follow our advice to stay safe at home:
- Make sure your all smoking materials are fully extinguished
- Take extra care when you’re tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning
- Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don’t light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire
- Never leave lit cigarettes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down
- Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn. Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished
- Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish – and don’t let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray
- Use child safe matches and cigarette lighters and keep them safely out of the reach of children
- Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - a working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999
