She says: "I was sitting at the end of my bed, smoking a cigarette and when I finished, I put it out in the ashtray and went downstairs. The next thing I knew, there was smoke pouring out of my upstairs window and I had to get out of the house as quickly as I could and call the Fire and Rescue Service."
She continues: "I thought I had put the cigarette out but I mustn't have put it out fully. Now, I never smoke in the house and I always make sure I put my cigarettes out properly. I urge anyone who smokes to do the same. The firefighters who came to the house said I had a lucky escape."
Fire safety officers offer smoking safety advice as part of free home safety checks to people in households at greater risk of having a fire. They also signpost people to smoking cessation services.
For smokers not ready to kick the habit this it is important to follow these simple precautions to prevent a fire at home:
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Put it out, right out. Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished.
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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.
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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.
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Avoid drugs and alcohol when smoking. It’s easy to lose your concentration when using any sort of drugs or drinking alcohol, combined with cigarettes and this could be lethal.
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Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
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Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn. Wait until the contents of the ashtray are cold before emptying it into a bin outside the house.
