TIPS – To help prevent smoking-related fires.

1. Check furniture and chair or sofa cushions for dropped cigarettes or ashes before leaving a room.
   Remember that a cigarette butt can smolder for 3–4 hours.
2. Use deep ashtrays with wide brims if possible, as they are less prone to tipping over. Place them on a sturdy surface, away from flammable or combustible things. Never leave a cigarette lit unattended.
3. Never dispose of an ashtray’s contents in a rubbish can.
   Instead, fill a non-combustible container with moist sand or water, such as a tin can. Place this container in the open.
4. Never smoke in bed.
   It is very easy to fall asleep by accident, which can result in a fire.
5. Do not smoke if you are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or prescriptions that may make you drowsy.
   With a lit cigarette in your mouth, you may be more prone to falling asleep.
6. Never smoke in a room that may contain flammable materials.
   Aerosols, nail paints, rubbing alcohol, and cleaning chemicals are all examples.
7. If your smoke detector begins to beep, do not remove the battery.
   It’s easy to forget to replace it. Instead, open the windows to allow the smoke to escape.
8. Keep lighters and matches out of children’s reach. Teach children what to do in the event of a fire—how to escape the house, how to phone 911, and so on. With them, go over your evacuation strategy.
9. Try to smoke outside if possible.
   This is less dangerous than smoking indoors and will keep the odor from invading your home. However, avoid smoking in flower pots or flower beds because they may include flammable elements such as peat moss, sawdust, or chemical fertilizers. Don’t even throw your cigarette butts on the ground in the woods. You’ll be contaminating the environment and maybe starting a forest fire.
10. Keep a portable fire extinguisher available at all times.
    If you know how to utilize it and keep it in good working order in case of an emergency.