Careless smoking once again responsible for fire

Frontiersman editorial board

It's not news that careless smoking poses a threat to the smoker's safety, as well as that of other people who may be in the same building. Usually the details involve someone falling asleep with a lit cigarette.

Residents of Daybreak Apartments on Hemmer Road escaped possible tragedy last week when a man attempted to light a cigarette while he was attached to an oxygen tank. The resulting blaze destroyed his room and the room directly above. Fast response by several Mat-Su fire departments helped contain damage, but the loss was still estimated at $300,000. Also, two people were taken to Valley Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to Alaska State Troopers.

The lesson here is to be aware of the effects a burning cigarette may have. It's not unusual to see people smoking around automobile gasoline pumps -- another recipe for split-second disaster.

Besides the damage to the smoker's health, and that of those who breathe second-hand smoke, those who choose to smoke must be extremely careful about other threats their habit poses. Explosions, possible wildfires in dry conditions, and any number of situations require that smoking materials be handled responsibly.

In the case of Daybreak Apartments, construction pre-dated an ordinance requiring sprinklers. The State Fire Marshal has said that damage would have been substantially reduced if a sprinkler system had been in the building. Those who complain about so-called red tape affecting construction projects and other sorts of development should take note. There usually is a good reason why safeguards are built into the process, even if it adds another hoop to jump through. Requiring sprinklers in apartment buildings was a positive step because lives could be lost otherwise. Fortunately for the 21 residents of Daybreak Apartments and their pets, that was not the case this time.

Wintertime also brings danger when operating wood stoves and fireplaces. Care also must be taken here to avoid tragedy from those sources. Valley firefighters perform skillfully and bravely when needed, but preventing the need for trucks to roll is the best possible scenario.