Careless Disposal of Smoking Materials Causes at Least Five Fires in Amherst Area

Source; Fire Chief Lindsay Stromgren

The Amherst Fire Department is reaching out to remind residents of the dangers of improper disposal of smoking materials, such as cigarettes, whether they be tobacco or marijuana.  Smoking materials continue to be the number one cause of fatal fires in Massachusetts. In the past three weeks, there have been at least five fires in Amherst or surrounding towns caused by careless disposal of smoking materials, some of which were significant.  Fires include:

• A house in a neighboring town destroyed by a fire caused by smoking materials discarded outside.
  
• An apartment in Amherst rendered unhabitable due to smoking materials discarded on a wooded porch.
  
• A bedroom fire in a neighboring town caused by a cigarette dropped on a carpet.
  
• Two separate incidents in Amherst, one just today (5/1), involving trash can fires, one in a residence and one in a college dormitory, both caused by smoking materials being thrown in the trash can.

In addition, last summer an apartment building in downtown Amherst, was heavily damaged, and is still uninhabitable, due to a cigarette being discarded on a wooden porch.

A discarded cigarette or other smoking materials can easily ignite a trash can, bark mulch, or a wooden deck.  The only way to safely dispose of smoking materials is in an approved container.  The Massachusetts State Fire Marshall offers tips on the proper disposal of smoking materials here:  Smoking Fire Safety | Mass.gov