Everyone understands that smoking is bad for health. What many do not realize, though, is that smoking is a leading cause of home, property and forest fires - and resulting damages and loss of life. While your home insurance can cover fire damage, compensation may not completely reimburse you for all losses.

Of course, everyone will recommend kicking the smoking habit to safeguard your health and home. Nonetheless, if this is not yet an option, smokers can take simple steps to minimize the risk of fire.

Eight Steps to Reducing Fire Risk in the Home or Car

• Never smoke while in bed. Statistics speak of people falling asleep while holding a lit cigarette and having their mattress and bedding catch fire.
  
  
• Do not smoke after taking medication that may make you drowsy. Not only will you become susceptible to falling asleep while smoking; in the event, a fire is started, it will more difficult to escape the fire.
  
  
• Always extinguish your cigarette before discarding it. Live embers can easily spark a fire.
  
  
• Never dump out out ashtrays that have just been used. Cigarette butts, ashes, and matches do not cool off immediately after discarding and can spark a fire if thrown into a garbage can or other receptacle where flammable trash or other items are kept
  

  
  

  
  

  

  
  
• Do not smoke near flammable items. This includes gas, paint, aerosol cans, chemicals, newspapers, magazines and even medical oxygen.  
  
  
• Do not set ashtrays near flammable matter or outdoor breeze or on window sills.
  
  
• While outside, remember to discard cigarettes and matches correctly. Never throw them on the ground or out of your car window. Disposing them irresponsibly can start a forest fire. Tossing hot smoking materials out of the car while driving can also spark a fire inside of the vehicle or result in an accident if they are blown back by the force of wind. Place cigarette butts and matches in an ashtray or container of water of bucket of sand.
  
  
• Be mindful of children. Never leave cigarettes, lighters or matches in reach of kids.
  
  
  

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Summary: Smoking can cause horrendous property damage in the home, the car and in the wild. Prime Insurance cites 8 ways to reduce the risks of smoker-related fires.