Fire statistics for the first quarter of 2023 in Vitebsk Region

In the 1st quarter of 2023, there were 219 fires in Vitebsk region, resulting in 32 fatalities. To date, Vitebsk region accounts for 16.11% of fires and 19.04% of deaths across the republic.

Among the main causes of emergencies, careless handling of fire, violation of heating appliance operation rules, and electrical equipment regulations remain prevalent.

Carelessness while smoking is the main cause of fires

The undisputed leader of all fire incidents is carelessness while smoking. Most often, the culprits and victims of fire in such cases are individuals who abuse alcohol. As is known, people under the influence of alcohol completely or partially lose control over their actions and behavior. Often, a person who has been drinking throws unextinguished cigarette butts anywhere, lies down in bed with a lit cigarette, and does not think about the consequences at all.

In most cases, this category of citizens, along with their own safety, endangers the lives of their loved ones and those living nearby. Similar incidents are reported almost daily in the Ministry of Emergency Situations' reports.

On February 17 at 8:31 AM, rescuers received a report of a fire in a residential house in the village of Kuleshi, Lepel District. The fire was discovered by a neighbor who, before the arrival of the rescuers, entered the house through an unlocked door and found a man born in 1970 in a smoke-filled room, whom he brought outside and handed over to the arriving medical personnel. The rescued individual was hospitalized with poisoning from combustion products. The fire was extinguished by the rescuers who arrived at the scene, and the fire damaged the flooring in the house over an area of 1 m². An investigation is underway regarding this incident, and the cause of the fire was likely careless handling of fire while smoking by the man.

At night on March 13, rescuers received a report of a fire in a house in the village of Turavichy, Orsha District. Upon arrival at the scene, the emergency services observed an open flame in the house. The homeowner, born in 1982, resides in the city of Orsha. With her permission, two men born in 1982 and 1986 were living in the house. At the time of the fire, both were inside and left the residence on their own before the rescuers arrived, but both sustained minor burns. After examination by emergency medical personnel, the men refused hospitalization. An investigation is underway regarding this incident, and the cause of the fire is being determined. The version being considered is careless handling of fire while smoking.

On March 18 at 12:30 AM, rescuers received a report of a fire in a house in the agro-town of Chereya, Chashniki District. Upon arrival at the scene, the emergency services observed an open flame in the house. The homeowner, born in 1965, lived with a woman born in 1981, and both were unemployed. At the time of the fire, they were inside the house; the woman managed to leave the residence on her own before the rescuers arrived and was unharmed. During the firefighting efforts, the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers discovered the body of the homeowner under a layer of collapsed structures on the floor. The fire was extinguished by the rescuers. The fire destroyed the roof, ceiling, and property in the house, and the walls were damaged. An investigation is underway regarding this incident. The cause of the fire was likely careless handling of fire while smoking by the homeowner.

A smoking person endangers not only themselves but also their loved ones. The health consequences are well known: passive smoking causes significant harm to those around, but a discarded cigarette butt can bring disaster to residents of lower floors. An ashtray is not rocket science, and mastering the art of using it is quite simple. The best way to protect oneself from the consequences of tobacco is to quit smoking altogether. Remember that "flying" and "drunken" cigarette butts can lead to maimed lives, broken fates, and burned homes.

The highest number of fires due to careless handling of fire while smoking occurs in the evening and nighttime. Events unfold rapidly and always follow the same scenario, when a person falls asleep with a smoldering cigarette in hand, and after a while, neighbors call the rescuers.

Not scattering unextinguished cigarette butts is not even a fire safety requirement, but rather a common rule of conduct for a normal civilized person. Unfortunately, many citizens do not attach great importance to this. People smoke in bed, throw butts on the floor, and toss them out of open windows, creating fire hazards with their own hands.

Statistics of a smoldering cigarette butt

Interesting studies have been conducted by our scientists. Experiments have shown that the maximum temperature of a smoldering cigarette ranges from 300-420°C, and its smoldering time is 4-8 minutes. A cigarette initially has a temperature of 310-320°C, which then decreases to 240-260°C, with a smoldering time of 26-30 minutes. After igniting a combustible material, such as a mattress, the cigarette butt eventually extinguishes. However, the hotspot it creates can smolder for another 1 to 4 hours. There is no actual fire; the person suffers from poisoning by combustion products.

A cigarette butt thrown onto sawdust causes it to smolder, and the heat released during this process penetrates deep into the sawdust with the airflow. After 2.5-3 hours, the temperature rises to 410-470°C, leading to ignition. A smoldering cigarette butt can ignite paper, for example, in a wastebasket. If the butt lies on the surface, the ignition process takes 40-50 minutes. If the butt penetrates to a depth of 5-10 cm, it ignites significantly faster — within 12-35 minutes. Similar consequences occur when a butt lands in hay or straw.