Smokers risking bushfires in SA by littering their cigarette butts

HUNDREDS of South Australian smokers are putting the state at fire risk by not putting cigarette butts into bins and even flicking them from vehicles.

Disposing cigarettes incorrectly can risk a fire starting. Picture: Kerris Berrington

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HUNDREDS of South Australians are putting the state at fire risk by incorrectly disposing of cigarette butts, including flicking them from vehicles.

The Environment Protection Authority has released updated figures for their Dob in a Litterer program, showing 894 reports of littering in metropolitan Adelaide, including the suburban fringe, between February to September.

Eighty per cent of those reports were cigarette butts disposed of incorrectly or flicked from a vehicle.

SA Country Fire Service state duty commander Nik Stanley said road verge vegetation was drying out as the fire danger season approached.

National Parks and Wildlife’s Dani Boddington performs a controlled burn-off at an entry road to Cleland Wildlife Park last week. Picture: Tait Schmaal

The first total fire ban of the season has been declared for today in the Northwest Pastoral district, where the danger rating is severe.

“Discarding lit cigarettes in any area with dry vegetation has the potential to spark a fire and potentially cause devastating consequences,” Mr Stanley said. “There are penalties of up to $5000 for throwing burning material from a vehicle.”

The CFS could not provide figures on how many bushfires were caused by cigarettes because the evidence is usually destroyed in a blaze.

The fire danger season has already started in the Northwest and Northeast Pastoral districts and will begin next month across the rest of the state, some of which are starting earlier than normal.

Metropolitan Fire Service community safety and resilience Commander Greg Howard said careless disposal of lit cigarettes had the potential to cause fires which put lives and communities at risk.

“If people choose to smoke, the MFS encourages responsible disposal of cigarette butts at all times, including ensuring they are completely extinguished before being disposed of,” he said.

Of the nearly 900 littering reports, 422 expiation notices were issued while 314 people were warned. The total value of fines was $182,070.

As the fire danger season nears, the Environment Department is frantically completing prescribed burns to reduce the risk. One is planned at Mt Crawford Forest today, which follows burn-offs at Clelend on Monday and last week.