Smokers, do yourself a favor - never ever empty an ashtray into the garbage until the next morning

[Jersey Devil]

RIDGEFIELD — Lit remains from an ashtray thrown into the trash was the likely cause of a fire that ripped through a Linden Avenue home killing a mother and her 14-year-old son, Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said Tuesday.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/Prosecutor_Lit_remains_in_ashtray_likely_cause_of_fatal_Ridgefield_fire.html

My uncle was a Fire Captain in West New York NJ who told me many years ago that most house fires at night where people were killed were caused just like this tragedy occurred.

So if you smoke or you are at a place where there is smoking and the ashtrays are full and need to be emptied, please, please get a big glass bowl and put the butts in it until the next morning. Don't ever dump them in the garbage the same day (or night).

[bluedigger]

1. Reminds me of an incident back when I smoked.

I was at a bar and the bartender kept emptying my ashtray, almost compulsively. I finally called her on it, and she told me that state law prohibited more than X butts in the ashtray. It was years ago, but I want to say it was in PA.

[Jersey Devil]

2. Saw that cause a fire once

Before they banned smoking at the local Elks club the bartenders used to do the same thing, toss them into the trash, until one night the trash started to smoke shortly thereafter. Then they brought in a big metal pan with a cover to hold butts until the next day. I am happy they discontinued smoking there (and at all public facilities in NJ) but it is amazing how little thought people give to this danger.

[LeftinOH]

3. "Child killed by negligent parent", IMO.

I used to smoke.. and I always made sure the butts were out. I usually put a little water in the ashtray to make sure .

[HopeHoops]

4. Hell, I never emptied my ashtrays until the coffee table was covered in butts.

I quit smoking in '85 (well, other than weed).

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. metal coffee cans work great for that

[sarge43]

6. A two pound coffee can is perfect and comes with a cover. n/t

[Aristus]

7. Or people could just, you know, not smoke.

It's not like it's a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky that smoking is bad for you in every way imaginable.

How many more preventable deaths are we going to have as a result of the facet of human nature which whispers "It won't happen to me!"?

[lastlib]

8. One of my favorite college professors found herself mentioned on Paul Harvey....

"Myra Cozad--C-O-Z-A-D--had just installed a new smoke detector in her house. She held a lighted match up to it to see if it worked. It did. She threw the match into a wastebasket. Damage to her home was $65,000."


(That's exactly the way Paul Harvey reported it.)

[NV Whino]

9. Don't put fireplace ashes into the compost until they are cold

One of my clients did that and ended up with a melted composter. Fortunately they discovered it before it escalated to a forest fire.

[trof]

10. Also grill ashes.

I'd smoked a turkey breast over charcoal and hickory.
A couple of days later I dumped the ashes into my compost heap.
I felt the bottom of the pan and it was barely lukewarm, but it was a hot day in summer.
About an hour later I saw smoke rising from the heap.
Sure enough, there were still some live coals in the charcoal residue.