Service issues second smoking in bed warning within 10 day period

Mid & West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is again having to warn of the dangers of smoking in bed after a further incident in Swansea last week.

The warning is the second issued by MAWWFRS within a 10 day period. Fire crews from Swansea Central and Swansea West attended the property of a gentleman who was smoking in bed, causing the sheets to catch fire. The man suffered burns to his back.

Station Manager Mike Crowley, who was in attendance, said:

“The gentleman was very lucky to have only suffered what appear to be minor burns to his body. If you are a smoker, please never smoke in bed as this incident highlights just how dangerous it can be. It is always advisable to go outside to smoke as ash and unextinguished cigarettes cause more house fires than most people realise.

“The individual dragged the mattress outside the property into a communal staircase which could have caused the fire to spread to the rest of the property. We would always recommend that you simply get out, stay out and call 999.”.

If a fire starts in your home you need to observe the following:

1. Try and keep calm
2. Get everyone out as quickly as possible
3. Do not waste time investigating or collecting valuables
4. If there is smoke, crawl where the air is clearer
5. Once outside, call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service
6. State your address clearly and give as much detail as possible
7. Once outside, stay outside

Smoking is the biggest killer in accidental fires in the home, often due to smoking in bed or not taking care after drinking alcohol.

When smokers fall asleep with a lit cigarette in hand, their proximity to the resulting fire seriously lowers their chance of escaping in time.

All smokers are urged to: ´Put it Out, Right Out´ whenever they light up, to install smoke alarms on every level of the home, and to test them regularly. Without a working smoke alarm you are four times more likely to die in an accidental fire in the home.

These simple steps can help prevent a cigarette fire in the home:

• Never smoke in bed. Take care when you´re tired – it´s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning and set furniture alight
• Never smoke when under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If your lit cigarette starts a fire you could be less able to escape.
• Put it out, right out! Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished
• Fit a smoke alarm and test it weekly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999
• Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes 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.