Date: 1st September, 2016
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people about the importance of the safe disposal of cigarette ends, following a house fire in Bournemouth this morning (1 September).
Firefighters were called to a semi-detached property in Pilot Height Road at 5.30am and found a first floor bedroom well alight.
Crews from Redhill, Springbourne, Westbourne and Poole attended, together with the aerial appliance from Westbourne. Six breathing apparatus wearers used one main jet and two hose reel jets to tackle the blaze, which destroyed the bedroom and caused severe smoke damage to the rest of the first floor.
The family of four within the house were alerted to the fire by their smoke alarms and escaped uninjured. The British Red Cross emergency response team from Springbourne was mobilised to offer the family support and shelter.
An investigation determined that the fire started after the contents of an ashtray were tipped into a plastic bin, igniting tissues inside.
If you smoke indoors, remember to ‘put it out – right out’ and:
- Make sure cigarettes, cigars and pipes are properly extinguished when you have finished smoking.
- Don’t leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended – they can easily over-balance as they burn down, and this could lead to a fire starting.
- Never smoke in bed.
- Use a proper ashtray that won’t tip over easily and is made of material that won’t burn.
- Never tap ash or empty an ashtray into a wastepaper basket.
- Make sure that ashtrays are emptied frequently, damping down the contents with water before disposing of them into a metal bin outside the home.
- Take extra care if you smoke when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs or if you’ve been drinking. You might fall asleep and set your bed, sofa or clothing on fire.
- Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
- Make sure your home has working smoke alarms and test them frequently.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe and Well visits – call 0800 038 2323 to make a request. A wide range of home fire safety advice can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/safety-at-home