• Smoking materials (such as a cigarette or ashes) are the leading cause of home fire-related death and injuries in the United States. Smoking-caused fires most often occur when smoking materials are left unattended or aren’t properly discarded. They can cause items like furniture, bedding or trash to catch fire.
• According to the Michigan Fire Marshal, smoking was the number one cause of fatal fires in FY 2023 at 44%. It has stayed at the number one cause of fatal fires since 2018.
• Implementing Michigan smoke-free policies in subsidized housing would save $1.4 million in smoking-related fire losses, $4.3 million in renovation expenses, $7.3 million in health care costs, and $12.9 million total cost savings when adjusted for inflation.
• The 2022 national estimates for residential building smoking fires and losses show that there were: 8,600 fires, 295 deaths, 700 injuries, and $525.7 million in dollars lost.
   

Fire departments can prevent fires caused by smoking by encouraging property managers to adopt smoke-free policies and encouraging residents to quit smoking or to only smoke outside. Here are a few ways that fire departments can help.

• Ask

• Include a question on your fire safety inspection form or ask the property manager: Does this building/property have a smoke-free policy?
• Ask the property manager: Would you be willing to adopt a smoke-free policy?

• Educate

• Share information about the benefits of smoke-free housing during fire safety inspections with property managers: Going Smoke-Free Matters in Multi-Unit Housing (printable infographic) and Benefits of Smoke-Free Buildings (fact sheet).
• Share information about the benefits of smoke-free homes and quitting tobacco or taking the smoking outside at community fire prevention events. Use the Going Smoke-Free Matters in Your Home (printable infographic) or email MDHHS-QuitKit@michigan.gov to request printed tobacco and nicotine quit materials.
• Empower Michigan residents to talk to loved ones who are smokers about their fire safety concerns with smoking. Older adults aging in place are at a higher risk of not escaping a house fire. Assist family members and residents who smoke with fire safety action items to reduce their risk and improve their escape plans.

• Promote

• Contact property managers in your area to promote smoke-free housing policies and share the free resources available from this site. The Smoke-Free Property Managers page on this site includes numerous resources for going smoke-free. Sending a letter after a fire or a fire in the neighborhood is a key moment to encourage change.
• Sample letter from the fire department to property manager
• Sample letter from fire department to property manager after a fire at their building
• Sample letter from fire department to property manager after a fire at a building in their neighborhood
• Include a statement supporting smoke-free policies on your website and also add a link to the MDHHS Smoke-Free Housing page.

These tips were adapted from Minnesota’s Live Smoke Free program.
 

MI Prevention aims to provide sustainable community risk reduction programs to minimize fire deaths, injuries, and property loss within the state of Michigan. This includes the many fatal fires caused by smoking.
 
As a fire department, please consider partnering with MI Prevention to reduce fire fatalities and other risks in your community. MI Prevention has many resources for fire departments and community partners.
 
Your department can help educate Michigan residents about key fire safety messages that they can use to prevent and escape a fire:

• Place working smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on each level of the home.
• Place working carbon monoxide (CO) detectors on each level of the home and outside sleeping areas.
• Consider escape options beyond the front door, with two ways out of every room.
• Consider escape options that take into account any mobility and disabilities the person may be experiencing.
• NEVER go back in a home after escaping.
• Put out smoking materials prior to sleeping in a chair or in bed.
• Never smoke while on or near medical oxygen.
• Close bedroom doors when you sleep.
• In case of a fire, close doors between you and the toxic smoke and fire.
• Follow all suggestions for adopting a smoke-free home, building or property.

This video is from the MI Prevention campaign to prevent smoking-related fire hazards:

MI Prevention is working hard to reduce fatal fires in Michigan. Anyone can help by being a Life Safety HERO for their family by considering all family members outside of their home. For residents who are unable to quit smoking and/or whose housing is not yet smoke-free, share the fire safety messages and help find ways to make smoking safer by having working smoke alarms and knowing their escape routes.

Share this video to help Michigan residents take the first step to understanding fire behavior towards reducing a fatal fire in their homes:

The U.S. Fire Administration’s Smoking Fire Safety page offers messaging, graphics and handouts to share with the public about the fire-related risks of smoking.