The dangers of cigarettes not being properly extinguished are being highlighted after crews attended a flat fire in Caernarfon this morning thought to be caused by carelessly discarded smoking materials.

Crews from Caernarfon and Llanberis were called to a flat on South Road, Caernarfon, Gwynedd at 7.18am this morning, Monday July 12^th. Firefighters used one hose reel jet and four sets of breathing apparatus to tackle the fire.

There was no-one in the flat at the time of the fire.

Eilian Roberts, Community Safety Manager for Gwynedd and Môn, said:

"It is so important to make sure all smoking materials are put out safely in suitable containers.

 "If you have elderly relatives or friends who are smokers, make them aware of the possible dangers - by following the steps below they can help cut the risk of a smoking related fire in the home:

-Take extra care when you're tired, taking any sort of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It's very easy to fall asleep without while your cigarette is still burning

- Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don't light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire

- Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down

- Buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes - every year children die by starting fires with matches and lighters. Keep these where children can't reach them

- Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over easily and is made of a material that won't burn. Make sure your cigarette is not still burning when you are finished - put it out, right out

- Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket containing other rubbish - and don't let the ash or cigarette ends build up in the ashtray

- Install and maintain a smoke alarm - when a fire starts, you only have a few minutes to escape. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out and dial 999. You can get a basic smoke alarm for the same price as a packet of cigarettes. Better still are those smoke alarms with long-life batteries or are mains-powered.

Eilian added: “We offer free safe and well checks for all residents – a member of the Service will give fire safety hints and tips, help you to formulate a fire escape plan and provide new alarms - all free of charge.

“To register for a free safe and well check, please visit our website or call the free hotline on 0800 169 1234 between 9am and 5pm, Monday –Friday.”