http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/fires.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.dnj.com/article/20120208/NEWS/302080026 http://tobacco.org/news/333484.html MURFREESBORO -- One firefighter was briefly hospitalized Tuesday after his blood pressure spiked as he and others worked to put out a fire that destroyed a 1305 California Drive home. Rutherford County Fire Chief Larry Farley said members of his department, Alamaville Fire Department and Walter Hill responded around 8:45 a.m. to the fire and arrived within seven to eight minutes. The homeowner had already escaped the home and told responding authorities that she had dropped a cigarette in the attic, which is believed to have sparked the fire. By the time firefighters arrived, Farley said, the home was fully engulfed. Murfreesboro News-Journal Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/fairfield_cty/fire-chief-lit-cig-caused-condo-fire http://tobacco.org/news/333457.html Investigators have pinpointed the cause of a fire that destroyed eight units at a condo complex in Norwalk Sunday. The fire took place at the Silver Ridge Condominiums, located on Oakwood Avenue. The fire that tore through the complex has left 16 people without a home and fire officials say it's all because of careless cigarette smoking. Norwalk's fire chief tells News 8 a resident fell asleep with his smoldering cigarette in hand. It then fell onto a chair, and that's what sparked the blaze which sent residents racing out of their homes around 5:45 a.m. Sunday. "It's a devastating loss and it's preventable," said Chief Denis McCarthy. "It's a careless habit and I think that you really have to be accountable if you're a smoker and a lot of our owners step outside as opposed to smoking in their units," said resident Maxine James-Stewart, "and I understand this had happened like little things before." WTNH-DT Channel 8 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/news/13_rescued_from_plumstead_blaze_caused_by_cigarette_1_1200642 http://tobacco.org/news/333439.html Thirteen people, including six children, had to be rescued from their flats after a cigarette caused the ground floor to go up in flames. Residents were trapped by the smoke after a fire broke out in a ground floor flat last night (5) at 11.34pm in Barnfield Gardens, Plumstead.. . . Watch Manager from Woolwich fire station Justin Hudson, who was at the scene said: “We believe the fire was caused by a cigarette. This fire shows just how dangerous cigarettes can be so if you do smoke, please make sure your cigarette is completely out once you’ve finished with it. Hundreds of fires are caused by cigarettes each year in London and many of them could be easily avoided if smokers took better care. Bexley Times marina.soteriou@archant.co.uk (Marina Soteriou , Reporter ) UK Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/child-1290250-down-edward.html http://tobacco.org/news/333390.html FORT EDWARD, Police say a child playing with a lighter and cigarettes is to blame for a fire that left six people homeless in Fort Edward in Washington County. WRGB TV-6 / cbs6 Albany news@cbs6albany.com Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.lohud.com/usatoday/article/38506959?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cp http://tobacco.org/news/333326.html Police say a child playing with a lighter and cigarettes is to blame for a fire that left six people homeless in Fort Edward in Washington County. No injuries were reported in the apartment house fire Saturday morning. Washington County Sheriff's Investigator Tony LeClaire tells the Glens Falls Post-Star (http://bit.ly/zYeGB9 ) that a child in one of the apartments got up before his parents and was playing with a lighter when he ignited curtains. New York Journal News metro@lohud.com Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/ventura_county&id=8531970 http://tobacco.org/news/333319.html A discarded cigarette was likely to blame for a fire under a building in Ventura. Officials say a cigarette that wasn't put out entirely got blown underneath the structure located on the 700 block of Jazmin Avenue and likely sparked at about 11 a.m. Saturday. KABC-TV Channel 7 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Cohoes-fatal-fire-caused-by-smoking-3050512.php http://tobacco.org/news/333314.html A 70-year-old woman died Saturday night after she likely fell asleep while smoking in her living room. Firefighters responded to 570 Saratoga St. around 11:30 p.m. and soon found Beverly Redcross on the floor halfway between the front and back door of the two-family home, said Cohoes Fire Chief Joseph Fahd. Fahd said Redcross was a heavy smoker, and there was extensive fire damage around the couch in the living room. Albany Times-Union Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thehour.com/story/519031/fire-marshal-smoking-in-bed-caused-fatal-fire http://tobacco.org/news/333275.html NORWALK-- The 62-year-old victim of a fatal blaze at a Maple Street apartment accidentally set the fire when she was smoking in bed, according to Norwalk Fire Marshal Glenn Iannacone. Judy O'Brien, who succumbed to her injuries Wednesday, lit her bed on fire while smoking, and the flames quickly spread, as the tubes to her oxygen tank melted, and the oxygen accelerated the fire, Iannacone said. O'Brien's 92-year-old mother, Marjorie Johnson, was also injured when their apartment in the Sheffield Ridge condominium apartment complex caught fire Tuesday at 4:19 a.m. The fourth floor of the 40-unit apartment complex was heavily damaged with smoke. Norwalk Hour news@thehour.com (STEVE KOBAK hour staff writer) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.khou.com/news/local/HFD-Smoking-in-bed-sparks-apartment-fire-in-NW-Harris-County-138635659.html http://tobacco.org/news/333213.html HOUSTON - A person smoking in bed caused a fire that damaged an apartment in northwest Harris County late Thursday, according to the Houston Fire Department. HFD responded to a fire at the Coppertree apartments, located on W. Gulf Bank at Veterans Memorial, around 11:55 p.m. KHOU CBS 11 assignments@khou.com ( KHOU.com staff) Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.independent.ie/national-news/stricter-smoking-rules-after-fire-death-in-home-3009203.html http://tobacco.org/news/333193.html THE death of a man with intellectual problems who accidentally set himself on fire will mean new safety procedures are introduced to hospitals and care facilities. Percy Ryan (68) died 16 days after he accidentally set his trousers alight. He was in a special smoking hut in a Health Service Executive-run care facility in Limerick at the time. Mr Ryan, who had only been in the home for seven months, died after he sustained serious burns to 30pc of his body. Immediately after nurses used a fire extinguisher, wet towels and basins of water to put out his blazing trousers, he told them: "I will never smoke again." Irish Independent Ireland Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/world/europe/details-of-russian-submarine-disaster-emerge.html?_r=1 http://tobacco.org/news/333176.html MOSCOW -- The authorities in Russia marshaled more than 400 firefighters and 170 emergency workers to extinguish a fire on Friday that had raged for almost a day on the hull of a nuclear submarine in dry dock near the northern port of Murmansk. . . . President Dmitri A. Medvedev ordered investigators to uncover the cause of the fire and told military officials to ensure that the vessel could return to service. . . . This time, new information emerged at a rapid clip. The fire seemed to have originated on wooden scaffolding that surrounded the vessel while it was in dry dock, possibly in the course of welding work, and spread to an area of 1,600 square feet. There were also questions about smoking. “A disaster is caused by people,” Capt. Igor Kurdin, the vessel’s former commander, told television crews. “Somebody smoked, and I am absolutely sure that it wasn’t a submariner but the factory crew that works there. A submariner would never do that.” New York Times Russia Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2012/02/smoking_cited_in_fire_that_kil.html http://tobacco.org/news/333163.html Authorities say smoking is suspected of starting a Pontiac house fire that killed a 68-year-old Vietnam veteran and General Motors retiree who used a wheel chair. Associated Press Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cleveland.com/sunpostherald/index.ssf/2012/02/early_findings_blame_smoking_f.html http://tobacco.org/news/333162.html CLEVELAND A fatal fire last week at a Rocky River Drive apartment appears to have been the result of a smoking accident, according to early findings by fire department officials. However, no final, official rulings were issued as of news deadline on Jan. 31. Residents reported hearing an explosion moments before the fire broke out. Killed in the fire was resident Elizabeth Stegman, 49. Her father-in-law Charles Stegman, 91, suffered burns over 25 percent of his body and remains in MetroHealth Medical Center. Her husband Chris Stegman and neighbor Charles Dove suffered smoke inhalation in rescuing the elderly man. Cleveland Plain Dealer kenatsun@cox.net (Ken Prendergast, Sun News) Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0203/1224311176759.html http://tobacco.org/news/333157.html A MAN suffered extensive burns last year after his clothes went on fire in the smoking area of a HSE -run psychiatric facility in Limerick, an inquest has heard. Percy Ryan (68), Knockballyfookeen, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, went into the smoking hut at O'Connell House, Newcastle West, on July 22nd, 2011. At 2.10pm, nursing staff heard shouts coming from the hut and found Mr Ryan, who was a smoker, on fire. Irish Times newsdesk@irishtimes.com (GEORGINA O'HALLORAN) Ireland Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Fine-smokes-hospital/story-15107318-detail/story.html http://tobacco.org/news/333152.html In the aftermath of a fire caused by a patient at Glenfield Hospital, we believe that anyone caught attempting to light a cigarette inside the premises should face an immediate fine or a criminal prosecution. The person behind the blaze faces no charges as there was 'no intent' to cause a fire, say police. However, this patient did decide to smoke in a building which has a strict no-smoking policy. We believe we will not be alone in the view that some sort of action must be taken in future. The smoker showed no regard for the hospital's rules, caused damage which will cost the NHS money and showed no respect for the staff and fellow patients on the ward - people who suffer from respiratory problems. . . . We believe this incident creates an opportunity to set down a marker and, in future, if someone smokes in a hospital they should, at the very least, face a very hefty fine. Leicester Mercury UK Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT