Twice in the past week, improperly disposed of smoking materials touched off apartment fires in Omaha.

Thursday morning, a smoking-related fire was started at Maple View Apartments, displacing 64 residents and leading to one case of smoking inhalation. Saturday another smoking-related fire was started at Fairway Apartments, damaging several units.

A smoking-related fire was touched off in LaVista in late September. 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.