Yourlawyer.com (Cigarette Fires News)

Clark Co. Hotel Fire Blamed On Discarded Cigarette

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

A discarded cigarette sparked a hotel fire in Clark County early Wednesday morning, investigators said. The fire came on the heels of two other blazes this week that also are believed to have been caused by discarded cigarettes.

Fire crews arrived at the Salmon Creek Shilo Inn about 1 a.m. and discovered a bark dust fire that had spread to the building on the south wing of the facility, said Leah Edwards with Clark County Fire District 6.

A good Samaritan who attempted to notify possible occupants was transported to the hospital. That person’s identity and the extent of his or her injuries was not released.

There were no reports of any other injuries. The south wing of the hotel was evacuated.

Firefighters had to cut a hole in a floor to gain access to the fire, which they had under control within 15 minutes.

The cigarette-sparked blaze caused an estimated $12,500 in damage, Edwards said.

Investigators believe a discarded cigarette sparked a huge triplex fire in Lake Oswego early Tuesday morning that caused an estimated $500,000 in damage and injured a firefighter.

A discarded cigarette was also blamed for a three-alarm fire that caused $500,000 damage to Lake Labish Elementary School near Salem on Monday.

Cigarette Sparks Fire at Lake Oswego Triplex

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

Investigators believe a discarded cigarette sparked a huge triplex fire that lit up the dark sky in Lake Oswego early Tuesday morning, caused an estimated half million dollars in damage and injured one firefighter.

The firefighter's face was cut with glass and paramedics took him to the hospital where doctors stitched up his wounds.

The blaze broke out just after midnight in the rental building near the corner of Lakeview Boulevard and Bryant Road. Firefighters said it moved fast, escalating into a three-alarm fire, and kept them busy for several hours.

“It appeared that it was a challenge initially, just because they had fire going from the exterior into the interior and it got into the attic quickly, so they had an attic fire, and it was stubborn,” said Chuck Chaffin with the Lake Oswego Fire Department.

Flames were shooting out of two of the three units but authorities said all the residents escaped safely.

Investigators believe a cigarette ignited after being disposed of in bark dust outside, near an apartment deck.

Cigarettes Blamed for 1 of 4 Fire Deaths, More Than Any Other Cause

Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

The number of fires caused by lighted tobacco products almost always cigarettes increased by 19 percent in the most recent year studied, according to research by the the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The NFPA says that cigarettes are the leading cause of fatal fires in the U.S. Smoking materials led to one out of four fire deaths in 1999, more than any other cause of fire.

NFPA's statistical analysis sheds light on how cigarettes lead to fatal fires. Contrary to the popular image, most victims of smoking-material fires did not fall asleep smoking. Many are not even smokers. Rather, these fires typically started when someone abandoned or improperly disposed of smoking materials.

Most victims were in the room where the fire started, and most had some condition that limited their ability to get out. Often they were asleep, but a significant number were impaired by drugs, alcohol, disability or old age. Indeed, people older than 64 are more likely to die in smoking-material fires than younger people.

The Quincy, Mass.-based NFPA says that laws requiring that cigarettes be designed to stop burning when not actively smoked, such as the one that went into effect in New York state on June 28, could sharply reduce this destruction. New York is the first state to require that cigarettes be self-extinguishing. All brands must be tested to make sure they self-extinguish at least 75 percent of the time.

In 1999, smoking-material fires increased 19 percent over the previous year to 167,700, resulting in 807 civilian deaths, 2,193 civilian injuries, and $559.1 million in direct property damage. Deaths and injuries both decreased by 11 percent from 1998 to 1999, but property damage costs increased by 33 percent.

"Cigarette fires are a major cause of death that we know how to address,'' said James M. Shannon, NFPA president. "A cigarette touching something combustible can take significant time to produce a fire. Cut down the burning time of cigarettes and you can prevent fires."

The effort to prevent deaths from cigarette-caused fires has a history. In 1979, after a fire started by a cigarette killed five children in a Boston suburb, the late U.S. Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) introduced a bill to have the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulate cigarettes as a fire hazard.

In 1987, a federal study found that it was possible to manufacture cigarettes that would be less likely to start fires.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology later developed a method for testing whether cigarettes were fire-safe. Moakley introduced legislation calling for the CPSC to develop standards for fire-safe cigarettes in 1994 and again in 1999. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) introduced the Cigarette Fire Safety Act of 2004 (H.R. 4155), which would require the CPSC to promulgate a standard for fire-safe cigarettes. The bill is now before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

"Will we continue to allow cigarette fires to kill hundreds of people every year, smokers and non-smokers, adults and children?" Shannon asked. "Or will we act on what we know - and require that cigarettes be made fire-safe?"

Cigarette Fires Burn Injury Accident Attorney

Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700

Cigarette Fires

Approximately 900 Americans die each year and another 2,500 are injured by fires started by cigarettes, according to the American Burn Association and the federal government. A lit cigarette that is dropped onto bedding or a sofa can smolder unobtrusively for as long as 30 minutes before a fire erupts.

Philip Morris USA has settled a lawsuit in the case of a toddler who was severely burned when a cigarette left in a car started a fire, the first time the nation's top cigarette maker has paid damages in a personal injury case.

Self-extinguishing cigarettes are being made to prevent fires. The cigarettes require a special paper and go out if you don't puff on them regularly. And they cost more to produce than regular cigarettes. New York State law requires all cigarettes sold after after June 28 be self-extinguishing.

A California resident has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Philip Morris USA over its Merit self-extinguishing cigarettes. The lawsuit claims that the paper used in the cigarettes pose a greater risk for fire and injury than regular cigarettes.

The lawsuit claims that Philip Morris failed to warn consumers that the paper causes pieces of partly burned tobacco to fall from the ends of the cigarette.

If you or a loved one were injured from a cigarette fire, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified attorney.