Smoking

Careless smoking is one of many activities that can result in unwanted human caused fires; particularly when the weather is hot and the vegetation is dry. Summer weather makes many people want to take to the outdoors for hiking, camping, or other recreating, yet they don’t realize that they need to be extremely cautious about discarding their cigarette butts and matches. Perhaps the biggest issue with wildfires caused by smoking is that in many instances the person who started the fire walks away without ever realizing what they have done.

Smokers have a responsibility to know that there is an inherent risk of wildfire associated with smoking. They should pay extra attention to their local fire danger ratings and fire restrictions. As a courtesy to non-smokers, they should carefully discard all smoking materials properly, whether they are standing in a concrete parking lot or in the middle of a dry grassy field. Utilize the following guidelines to build good habits all of the time; this will help to ensure that costly mistakes are not made.

Smoking Guidelines

  • Never throw smoking materials out of a car window.. Always use your cars' ashtray, and make sure all butts are completely out before throwing them into the trash. Besides, any discarded material thrown from a vehicle is considered littering.
  • In and around buildings, limit smoking to designated areas, and use approved smoking receptacles.
  • Do not discard butts in landscaped areas. The shredded bark used for landscaping purposes can be extremely dry,very combustible, and can create an environment for butts to smolder in for a long period of time.
  • Smoke only in areas that are free from excess grass and other vegetation
  • Be aware that in many states (including Idaho) that fire restrictions place limitations on smoking
  • Be sure to properly dispose of cigarette butts along with all other trash you generate

Who is responsible?

Carelessly or negligently discarding cigarette butts can lead to fines and/or citations. Additionally, it is important to remember that if a fire starts from your cigarette, you run the risk of being prosecuted and forced to pay the monetary cost of recovery for damages to property and/or life that resulted from your careless act.