Where There’s Smoking, There’s Fire

Across the nation, over 1,000 people are killed and 3,000 injured as a result of cigarette fires each year. These fires cause more than $400 million in property damage. In Massachusetts alone in 2000, 1,280 fires were attributed to cigarettes. Those fires killed 17 people, injured 81 civilians, and wounded 61 firefighters in the line of duty. Insurers and property owners lost over $9.3 million due to the same blazes. Despite igniting 5% of the 24,931 reported fires in 2000, cigarette fires killed 17 civilians, or 22% of all civilian fires deaths

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Key to map: (Town, Date, Deaths/Injuries/Damages.) 

1. Amesbury April 28, 2001, 7-alarm fire destroys restaurant, left 11 families homeless, and closed 4 businesses.

2. Beverly July 23, 2001, 70-year old man died in an apartment fire.

3. Boston March 9, 2001, 22-year old person injured and $250,000 in damages done to an apartment building.

4. Boston May 23, 2001, 53-year old man died; $150,000 in damages to an apartment building.

5. Boston June 15, 2001, 2 firefighters treated for heat exhaustion and $1 million in damages to Macy’s Department Store.

6. Dorchester March 21, 2001, two-and-one-half story home destroyed.

7. Easton July 12, 2001, 75-year old man died; $200,000 in damages to a one-story home.

8. Hopedale January 17, 2001 90-year old woman died when she dozed off while smoking; 1 firefighter injured; $90,000 in damages

9. Ipswich January 23, 2001, 33-year old woman and two daughters, ages 3-years and 5-months, died; two-and-one-half story home destroyed.

10. Lawrence March 19, 2001, one firefighter injured at fire in supermarket and beauty supply store.

11. Lowell February 19, 2001, 3-alarm fire destroyed a 6-family home.

12. New Bedford March 31, 2001, 53-year old man died; 2 others injured; single-family home destroyed.

13. Newton May 30, 2001, 53-year old woman died in 3-alarm fire at an elderly housing complex.

14. North Attleboro February 17, 2001, 90-year old woman injured in a three-family house fire.

15. Norwood January 29, 2001, 42-year old woman died.

16. Plainville August 9, 2001, 62-year old woman died in 2-alarm fire in her trailer home.

17. Plainville October 31, 2001, mobile home destroyed; $25-30,000 in damages.

18. Roxbury February 1, 2001, one injury and damages of $50,000.

19. Salem April 28, 2001, 47-year old father of four died; two families left homeless.

20. Somerville February 13, 2001, damages of $3,000.

21. Somerville March 3, 2001, 57-year old man died in a fire in a four-unit house.

22. Springfield February 7, 2001, one person died and one was injured. 

23. Taunton February 4, 2001, convenience store destroyed.

24. Wareham April 3, 2001, 50-year old man died; two children and a firefighter injured; $180,000 in damages to split-level home.

25. Westborough February 17, 2001, 6-alarm fire that left 400 families homeless and did over $1.5 million in damages to an apartment building.

26. Woburn March 31, 2001, 45-year old woman died in 2-alarm fire in a rooming house.