High-rise blaze in Beckton, London, caused by unsafe disposal of smoking materials igniting combustible balcony materials

In a sadly familiar story, a high-rise balcony was destroyed in a fire this week that was started by a carelessly discarded cigarette. The sixth-floor balcony was well alight when firefighters arrived and was completely destroyed in the blaze, with damage caused to the attached flat as well as the balcony above.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said, “We’d rather you didn’t smoke at all, but if you are a smoker, it’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it.

“If you don’t, you risk causing a fire which could not only destroy your home, but also cost you your life.”

Hundreds of balcony fires occur across the UK every year and the leading cause of these is smoking materials. When balconies are constructed with combustible materials, such as timber or composite decking, a fire can easily be triggered by a dropped cigarette end.

AliDeck have embraced the #Stoptober campaign that runs each October, as not only will quitting smoking result in better health for people, it’ll also help them live more fire safe lives and reduce the risk of balcony fires. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn for all of the interesting and informative content we’ll be sharing through the month.

While quitting smoking will lead to increased fire safety, for those that are unable to quit at this attempt we would recommend the replacement of all combustible balcony materials with non-combustible alternatives, such as the AliDeck System of aluminium decking.

To find out more about our non-combustible decking solution, call the AliDeck team on 01622 235 672 or email info@alideck.co.uk.