Cigarette smoking sparks 1,803 fires in Istanbul during first eight months
Cigarettes were responsible for 1,803 fires in Istanbul from January through August, representing 9.8% of all reported incidents.
According to the municipal fire department, cigarettes ignited 1,803 fires in Istanbul between January and August, making up 9.8% of the 18,321 incidents logged. The majority of these fires involved brush or trash (1,435), while 302 damaged residential properties, 32 struck workplaces, and smaller numbers affected other buildings, warehouses and vehicles. The district of Fatih led with 223 cases, followed by Esenyurt and Güngören, whereas Bağcılar, Beşiktaş and several other districts reported the fewest.
Additional causes cited were matches, lighters, sparks, stoves, children, faulty wiring, transformers, irons and heaters. Fire crews maintained a rapid average response time of six minutes and fifty-two seconds, saving 8,291 people and 12,077 animals in 20,368 rescues. Over the reporting period, they handled 91,978 events, including 48,660 non-fire incidents and 24,997 medical calls. Taner Kaboğlu, deputy chairman of the Turkish Fire Protection and Education Foundation, called for the adoption of self-extinguishing cigarettes, warning that cigarettes cause severe damage.
