If you smoke, put it out. 
All the way. Every time. 


Smoking & Home Fires: A campaign to prevent the #1 cause of home fire deaths. 

United States Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue
Emmitsburg, MD 21727

www.usfa.dhs.gov/smoking (English)
www.usfa.dhs.gov/fumar (Spanish) 

Fire Safety Facts for Smokers and People Who Live With Smokers 

Smoking is the number one cause of home fire deaths in the United States. 

Every year, men, women and children are killed in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. Most victims of smoking-related fires never thought it could happen to them. These fires can affect not only the smoker, but others living in or next to the home at the time of the fire. 

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) is working to help prevent home fire deaths and injuries caused by smoking materials. Through this national fire safety campaign, the USFA along with partner organizations around the country will urge smokers to Put It Out. All the Way. Every Time. 

Fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are preventable. 
You can make a difference. 

SMOKING AND HOME FIRES ACTION STEPS: 

If You Smoke, Smoke Outside 

Most home fires caused by smoking materials start inside the home. It’s better to smoke outside.

[Picture of a man smoking on an outdoor patio.  A can of sand and a wide ashtray are in the picture, illustrating ways to properly extinguish cigarettes.]

Wherever You Smoke, Use Deep, Sturdy Ashtrays

Use ashtrays with a wide, stable base that are hard to tip over. If it wobbles, it won’t work.

[Picture of a wide ashtray]

Ashtrays should be set on something sturdy and hard to ignite, like a table. If you smoke outside, put your cigarettes out in a can filled with sand.

[Picture of a cigarette being extinguished in a can filled with sand]

Make Sure Cigarettes and Ashes are Out 

Put It Out. All the Way. Every Time. 

The cigarette really needs to be completely stubbed out in the ashtray.

[Picture of a cigarette being stubbed completely out in an ashtray]


Soak cigarette butts and ashes in water before throwing them away. Never toss hot cigarette butts or ashes in the trash.

[Picture of an ashtray filled with cigarette butts being filled with water underneath a sink faucet]

Check for Butts 

Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast. Don’t put ashtrays on them. If people have been smoking in the home, check for cigarettes under cushions.

[Picture of a chair with a lit cigarette dropped between the cushions and another picture showing the chair on fire in the same place where the cigarette was dropped]

Never Smoke in a Home Where Oxygen is Used 

Never smoke while using oxygen or are anywhere near an oxygen source, even if it is turned off. Oxygen can be explosive and makes fire burn hotter and faster. 

If You Smoke, Fire-Safe Cigarettes are Better 

Fire-safe cigarettes are less likely to cause fires. These cigarettes have banded paper that can slow the burn of a cigarette that isn’t being used. 

Be Alert 

To prevent a deadly fire, you have to be alert. If you are sleepy, have been drinking, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy, put your cigarette out first. Smoking in bed is just plain wrong. 

[Image of a man falling asleep in a chair while holding a lit cigarette]

GENERAL FIRE SAFETY FACTS: 

Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms on every level of your home. 

Get smoke alarms that can sound fast for both a fire that has flames, and a smoky fire that has fumes without flames. They are called “Dual 
Sensor Smoke Alarms.” 

Check smoke alarm batteries at least once every year. You can use a familiar date such as when you change your clocks or your birthday as a reminder. 

Create an escape plan. Plan two ways to escape from every room. Practice the escape plan with everyone in the home. 

If at all possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home. 

For more fire prevention information and campaign materials, visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/smoking or contact: 

The U.S. Fire Administration is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is part of the U.S. Department of 
Homeland Security. FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding 
to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. 

USFA Publications Information: FA-309 / June 2007