Current case in Upper Austria

Cigarette in bed regularly becomes a death trap

A lit cigarette in bed is a fire hazard (symbolic image)

(Bild: dpa-Zentralbild/Robert Schlesing)

A cigarette in bed caused a fatal fire in Lichtenberg and cost the lives of a pensioner and his dog. Unfortunately, such accidents are not uncommon. Almost exactly a year ago, another Mühlviertel resident (33) died as a result. Cheap technology can save lives here.

Firefighters found the body of a 79-year-old man in a completely smoke-filled detached house in Lichtenberg near Linz on Tuesday morning. It is now clear what caused the fatal fire: a cigarette is believed to have ignited the bed in the bedroom and the pensioner apparently suffocated in the thick smoke. A chimney fire had previously been assumed.

One incident just ended well
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Almost exactly a year ago, last December, a 33-year-old man in Klaffer am Hochficht also lost his life in a cigarette fire. He probably fell asleep on the couch with a cigarette butt. A similar incident in Maria Neustift in September this year went just as well: a 35-year-old fell asleep there with a lit cigarette and started a fire. The apartment building with 17 tenants was evacuated.

227 fires due to open fires or cigarettes
There were a total of 227 fires in Upper Austria last year due to naked flames and fires such as candles or cigarettes. "It depends on the embers falling somewhere where there is easily combustible material and where heat builds up, for example on plastic blankets or decorative materials," says Günther Schwabegger from the Upper Austrian Fire Prevention Agency, explaining how cigarette butts can cause fires.

Install smoke alarms
"It is helpful to install smoke alarms so that you can hear the loud sound as early as possible if there is a fire," advises the expert. And: "Dispose of cigarettes carefully in non-flammable ashtrays and don't throw them in the garbage bin."