Jump to full article: KSLA-TV Ch. 12, 2009-09-15
Author: Najahe Hall
Intro: It has been nearly one year since 53-year old Patty Easom of Shreveport was killed in a ferocious fire, born from a cigarette she had left on her sofa. While the Easoms continue to mourn her loss, according to a new report, cigarette-ignited fires like the one that killed Patty are all too common.
The Coalition for Safe Cigarettes (CFS), recently characterized cigarette-ignited fires as a leading cause of home fire deaths in the United States and they conclude that between 700 to 900 people per year - smokers and non-smokers alike, are the victims of a preventable death.
Starting January 1st, 2010 all tobacco dealers will be required by law to sell a new fire-safe cigarette . . .
We investigated these new fire-safe cigarettes to see if they would perform as promised and help reduce the number of cigarette-ignited fires. Along with the help of the Shreveport Fire Department, we recreated a similar scenario to the tragic fire that claimed the life of Patty Easom. On the grounds of the Shreveport Fire Department, a sofa was placed inside a specially designed room called a "Burn Building." . . .
The results of the investigation revealed that the fire-safe cigarettes did not work every time. Shreveport's Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention, Randy Stephens, clarified the outcome of the test. "All cigarettes have the potential to start a fire but this is a fire (safer) cigarette."
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