Can "fire safe" cigarettes start wildfires?
As summer heats up fire restrictions are soon to follow. Fire restrictions limit or ban certain activities that have the potential to start a wildfire, including campfires and smoking. Stage 1 and Stage 2 fire restrictions prohibit smoking outdoors unless the area is clear of any flammable material. At the same time, all cigarettes sold in the United States must be certified “fire safe,” meaning they are designed to self-extinguish. So, are smoking restrictions necessary? Can fire safe cigarettes start a wildfire? USDA Forest Service researchers at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory (Fire Lab) found the answer is yes – even “fire safe” cigarettes can start a wildfire, particularly in hot, dry, or windy conditions.
Cigarettes have long been known to ignite fires, both in homes and in forests and grasslands. This led to the development of fire safe cigarettes in the late 20th century, followed by state laws that mandated the standard across all 50 states. However, between 2010 and 2020, smoking still caused 1,700 wildfires per year on average in the United States. Very little research has been done to explore whether fire safe cigarettes can ignite wildland fuels, and this gap in knowledge resulted in a lack of clear guidance for fire investigators. It is also possible that the “fire safe” label might lead the public to be more careless in cigarette usage and disposal.
Researchers at the Fire Lab partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to perform experiments that would establish whether fire safe cigarettes can ignite wildland fuels. They placed burning cigarettes on fuel beds of whole or chopped pine needles and used a wind tunnel and halogen lamp to mimic windy and sunny conditions. In almost every case, the needles ignited through smoldering – spreading well away from the cigarette. In some cases, the cigarette appeared to self-extinguish, only to be re-ignited by the smoldering needles.
These experiments clearly show that even “fire safe” cigarettes can ignite dry wildland fuels under sunny and windy conditions. More experiments need to be done to determine the limits for ignition – for example, wetter fuels under cloudy conditions. Due to the number of variables that can impact ignition of wildland fuels, this work could take years. In the meantime, be careful with that cigarette.
The Forest Service is the world’s leading wildland fire research organization, providing foundational science and data that informs all aspects of fire management, from before fires start to after they go out.