Cigarettes blamed for spate of house blaze tragedies

Since January 2010 seven house fires have claimed the lives of 10 victims within the Humberside fire service area. Area manager Mark Rhodes, head of operations and community protection, said: "Despite our ongoing efforts to educate people about the dangers of fire there is still much more to be done to prevent people from dying in their own homes.

"It is concerning that far too many people still think that it will never happen to them. The stark reality is that fire can devastate your life if you fail to take a few simple steps to protect yourself and your family.

"In the past five years we have seen a huge increase in the number of fires which have started through carelessly discarded cigarettes and this is our biggest challenge at the moment. We cannot emphasise enough the need to take greater care with cigarettes.

"If they come into contact with furniture, bedding or other flammable goods in the house they will almost certainly cause a fire. The danger however is that cigarettes smoulder for some time before developing into a really serious fire.

"During this time it is likely that the residents may have gone to bed or fallen asleep or are perhaps unable to do anything about it themselves. This allows the fire and smoke to rapidly spread through the property leaving everyone at serious risk of dying in their own home."

In previous years the brigade has driven campaigns to educate people about the dangers of chip pan fires and this has had very significant results with the number of chip pan related fires falling dramatically.

Residents are being urged not to turn a blind eye to other dangers, such as smoking – and to look out for their neighbours and loved ones by checking for early signs of discarded cigarettes such as burns in furniture, bedding or clothes.

For further information and advice and for details on free home fire safety checks, visit the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service website at www.humbersidefire.co.uk and follow the safety link or call the Community Protection Team.