To mark No Smoking Day Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have issued a warning regarding carelessly discarded cigarettes.
This March 13 GMFRS are informing the people of Manchester to make sure that any cigarette is completely out before chucking it away.
Firefighters across Manchester have attended 752 fires caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials since April 2014.
Manchester fire crews have been called to smoking related fires more than any other borough (202 times), with Bolton (84) and Salford (78) the top areas with 162 smoking related fires between them.
Bury has the fewest with 42, while Manchester Trafford has 44.
In one incident someone who had been drinking fell asleep while smoking in bed, causing the flat to set on fire.
Bev Hughes, Deputy Mayor of Policing, Crime, Justice and Fire said: “Our firefighters do an incredible job keeping everyone across Greater Manchester safe, at all times of day and night throughout the year.
“We can also help them to do this by making sure any smoking materials are put out completely after use.”
Another careless incident that took place in February was caused by a cigarette falling onto a balcony on the fourth floor that caused a fire. If the flat had been left unchecked it could have developed and spread throughout the building.
The message from GMFRS this #NoSmokingDay is to make sure that smoking materials are completely out.
If you smoke, we advise you to:
Stub your smoking material out properly – put it out, put it right out
Never smoke in bedRead more https://t.co/2w0kyEvZrd pic.twitter.com/E6hcSr14Rn
— Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (@manchesterfire) March 13, 2019
Paul Etches, Head of Prevention, added: “If you smoke, please make sure you put your smoking materials completely out.
“Putting a small amount of water on your ashes or cigarette butts is a quick simple way to make sure you are not at risk of a fire.”
If you smoke, GMFRS advises you to:
- Stub your smoking material out properly – put it out, put it right out
- Don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily fall over and start a fire
- Use a proper heavy wide-bottom ashtray, never a wastepaper basket
- Make sure your ashtray won’t tip over and is made of material that won’t burn
- Never smoke in bed
- Fit a minimum of one smoke alarm on every floor of your home and make sure you test it often. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and call 999
