Cigarettes to blame in at least three recent fires in Nebraska, officials say

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – At least three fires in Nebraska over the last few days were reportedly caused by improper cigarette disposal.

In one case, acres of land were burned. In another, a Lincoln couple face thousands of dollars in damage to their home.

Investigator Damon Robbins of Lincoln Fire & Rescue said cigarette fires are preventable and aren’t worth the damage caused by carelessness.

He said a house fire early Friday morning in Lincoln was caused by an “improperly discarded cigarette in the bedroom.”

“And it did approximately $180,000 worth of damage to the structure,” Robbins said. “Improperly discarded cigarettes are always in the top three causes of fires. People just need to be cognizant of where they place their cigarettes butt when they are done with it.”

Fires across the state have burned acres and acres of land, and officials suspect cigarettes to be the root of the problem.

Gothenburg has had two fires within the last two days, and Fire Chief Mark Ballmer thinks that negligence may have started both.

“As dry as it is, with low humidity and high winds, it just makes it difficult to get ahead of,” he said. “It’s possible a discarded cigarette is the cause. Because there’s no other source of ignition out there, that’s our suspected cause.”

READ MORE: Another big grass fire in central Nebraska spreads dangerously close to structures

Fire prevention is now at the forefront of the conversation about how people dispose of cigarettes.

The United States Fire Administration recommends smoking outside, putting your cigarettes all the way out and being alert.

Robbins insists that the devastating effects of fires should be considered whenever and wherever you smoke.

“Just one cigarette improperly discarded has the potential to have a devastating effect,” he said. “Everyone knows how bad cigarettes are to your health, but they’re always in the top two or three of accidental or unintentional fires, and they’re usually the cause of fatal fires every year.”