Fire-Safe Cigarettes Save Lives AUSTIN - Smoking is the number one cause of home fire deaths in the United States.  In Texas, there were a total of 1,880 fires caused by cigarettes, including 500 residential house fires resulting in ten deaths and losses of more than $14 million in 2006. In response to this problem, Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill (HB) 2935 into law in June 2007 to require that all cigarettes sold in Texas be certified fire standard compliant, or "fire-safe," by January 1, 2009.  Fire-safe cigarettes are designed to self-extinguish if they are left unattended or not actively being smoked.  Cigarette manufacturers are able to produce fire-safe cigarettes by wrapping the cigarettes with two or three bands of less porous paper.  The bands act as "speed bumps" that slow down the burning of the cigarette, causing it to self-extinguish. Enforcement of the fire-safe cigarette law will begin on January 1, 2010.  The time interval between the effective date of HB 2935 and the start of enforcement efforts will allow retailers to dispose of their existing inventory of cigarettes. News Fire Prevention Week 2010 (October 3-9) is fast approaching. This year's theme is “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” Have you begun your preparations? The State Fire Marshal's Office has assembled a list of some of the activities used in 2009.  Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed a Proclamation declaring September Campus Fire Safety Month throughout the state. Perry is the 12th governor to issue such a proclamation this year. Schools use September as an opportunity to educate students about what they need to know about stopping a potentially fatal fire from happening and what to do if one should break out.