A Friday morning La Vista garage fire was started by a cigarette. The fire sent smoke through the La Vista home. The fire was under control by the time firefighters arrived, according to 10/11 News. No injuries were reported. After three smoking-related fires in La Vista and Ralston in six months earlier this year, firefighters in Ralston and La Vista voiced concern about smoking-related fires happening in Nebraska this year. Firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney also have urged caution in disposing of smoking-related materials after fires there this year. In the first five months of 2011, six Kearney families have lost their homes because of carelessness with smoking materials, according to the Kearney Hub. In 2010, four Kearney residents were displaced for the same reason. And in a July Papillion house fire started by a discarded cigarette, firefighter Clayton Kulhanek broke both his ankles and firefighter Ryan Twohig lost a big toe.
A three-year old boy with a cigarette lighter started a fire at his Lincoln home, and the fire has left his family without a home. As reported by 1011 News, the boy was playing with a lighter in his bedroom, when he lit bedding material on his bunk bed on fire. A family of eleven lived in the home. A man, his wife, two of the kids and a sister were at home. No one was injured. After three smoking-related fires in La Vista and Ralston in six months, firefighters in Ralston and La Vista voiced concern about smoking-related fires happening in Nebraska this year. Firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney also have urged caution in disposing of smoking-related materials after fires there this year. In the first five months of 2011, six Kearney families have lost their homes because of carelessness with smoking materials, according to the Kearney Hub. In 2010, four Kearney residents were displaced for the same reason. And in a July Papillion house fire started by a discarded cigarette, firefighter Clayton Kulhanek broke both his ankles and firefighter Ryan Twohig lost a big toe.
A Monday fire was started by a discarded cigarette, damaging a Scottsbluff home , as reported by the Scottsbluff Star Herald. Three adults and a 9-year-old girl were in the home and got out safely, the Star Herald reported. Damage to the home was estimated at $5,000. After three smoking-related fires in La Vista and Ralston in six months, firefighters in Ralston and La Vista voiced concern about smoking-related fires happening in Nebraska this year. Firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney also have urged caution in disposing of smoking-related materials after fires there this year. In the first five months of 2011, six Kearney families have lost their homes because of carelessness with smoking materials, according to the Kearney Hub. In 2010, four Kearney residents were displaced for the same reason. And in a July Papillion house fire started by a discarded cigarette, firefighter Clayton Kulhanek broke both his ankles and firefighter Ryan Twohig lost a big toe.
In yet another fire ignited by a discarded cigarette, two firefighters were injure fighting the fire. As reported by WOWT.com, Papillion firefighter Clayton Kulhanek broke both his ankles fighting a Papillion house fire Tuesday night. As of this morning, he was still in the hospital and will require another surgery. Firefighter Ryan Twohig lost a big toe. Both were injured on the ladder. The Papillion house was destroyed. Investigators say it was a discarded cigarette that caught the deck on fire. Twohig could be back within the month according to the fire chief. Kulhanek may need more than three months to recover. After three smoking-related fires in La Vista and Ralston in six months, firefighters in Ralston and La Vista voiced concern about smoking-related fires happening in Nebraska this year. Firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney also have urged caution in disposing of smoking-related materials after fires there this year. In the first five months of 2011, six Kearney families have lost their homes because of carelessness with smoking materials, according to the Kearney Hub. In 2010, four Kearney residents were displaced for the same reason.
After three smoking-related fires in La Vista and Ralston in the past six months, firefighters in Ralston and La Vista have joined the chorus of concern about smoking-related fires happening in Nebraska this year, according to the Ralston Recorder. Fires June 7 and last December at apartments in La Vista and a fire at an apartment building April 29 in Ralston join a house fire June 8 in Grand Island, and fires in Kearney in Lincoln blamed in the past six months on smoking-related materials.
The June 7 fire was the tenth smoking-related fire La Vista firefighters have responded to in the last year, according to the La Vista Fire Department Chief.
La Vista Volunteer Fire Department Chief Rich Uhl said it's important to make sure smoking materials are completely extinguished and the only certain way to do that is to douse the materials in water. “The ideal thing is that smokers would have a bucket or a coffee can full of water they could throw butts into,” he told. “So that way they’re not just throwing smoldering ash into a can full of other butts.” Firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney also have urged caution in disposing of smoking-related materials after fires there this year. In the first five months of 2011, six Kearney families have lost their homes because of carelessness with smoking materials, according to the Kearney Hub. In 2010, four Kearney residents were displaced for the same reason. On May 26, 2009, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law legislation requiring that cigarettes sold in Nebraska be fire safe. That law became effective January 1, 2010. " Fire-safe cigarettes are a proven, practical, and effective way to eliminate the risk of cigarette-ignited fires," according to the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which says that the use of fire-safe cigarettes will prevent tens of thousands of cigarette-ignited fires each year.
Yet another fire has been caused by improperly disposed of smoking materials in Nebraska. A house smoking-related fire started Thursday in Grand Island as a result of a cigarette that wasn't properly put out, as reported by the Grand Island Independent. The residents escaped safely. Just Tuesday, a smoking-related apartment fire burned in La Vista. A number of smoking-related fires this year have prompted firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney to remind smokers to be careful in disposing of their smoking materials. On May 26, 2009, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law legislation requiring that cigarettes sold in Nebraska be fire safe. That law became effective January 1, 2010. " Fire-safe cigarettes are a proven, practical, and effective way to eliminate the risk of cigarette-ignited fires," according to the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which says that the use of fire-safe cigarettes will prevent tens of thousands of cigarette-ignited fires each year. The fires reported in Lincoln, Kearney and La Vista were reported to be caused by smoking materials, although the source of the smoking materials wasn't reported.
Here's a story from the Omaha World Herald about the apartment fire in La Vista Tuesday. According to the Omaha World Herald, residents of 33 units at Shadow Ridge Apartments are displaced by the smoking-related fire, which started on the third-floor apartment balcony. Firefighters from La Vista, Ralston, Bellevue and Omaha fought the blaze, which began about 5 p.m. Tuesday. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, almost 1,000 smokers and non-smokers are killed each year in home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. A number of smoking-related fires this year have prompted firefighters in Lincoln and Kearney to remind smokers to be careful in disposing of their smoking materials. On May 26, 2009, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law legislation requiring that cigarettes sold in Nebraska be fire safe. That law became effective January 1, 2010. " Fire-safe cigarettes are a proven, practical, and effective way to eliminate the risk of cigarette-ignited fires," according to the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which says that the use of fire-safe cigarettes will prevent tens of thousands of cigarette-ignited fires each year.
The fires reported in Lincoln, Kearney and La Vista were reported to be caused by smoking materials, although the source of the smoking materials wasn't reported.
Smoking materials are being blamed for an apartment fire Tuesday in La Vista, according to WOWT. Twelve apartments were damaged in the fire. This fire comes at a time when firefighters in Kearney and Lincoln have urged that cigarettes be put out safely.
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