A hot cigarette lighter led to a vehicle fire this week in Scott.

According to KLFY, the fire occurred on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, outside of a business in Scott.

A spokesman for Scott Fire Department said that the owner of the vehicle lit a cigarette, and then placed the still-hot lighter on the seat of the vehicle. The lighter came into contact with combustible material, causing a fire on the front seat. The fire was able to spread to the rest of the vehicle before the fire department arrived.

There were no injuries, according to the Scott Fire Department, and the fire was able to be extinguished without damage to any other property.

As silly as it may sound, fire prevention starts with remembering to not do things that would cause a fire. Don't store combustible materials near heat or spark sources. That means: no paint or aerosols or fuel or loose paper products near the water heater. Don't fill a hot lawn mower engine with fuel, allow it to cool first. Have a screen on your fireplace or fire pit to prevent embers from creating a hazard. And don't put a hot cigarette lighter down on your car seat (or any other flammable surface).

According to FEMA, there were over 1.2 million fires in the US in 2019, resulting in 3,704 and 16,600 injuries. Those fires caused a total of $14.8 billion in damage to property.

The cause of over 350,000 of the residential fires reported is listed as "Cooking", so extra care should always be given near the stove, pit, or fryer.

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