Fires killed 50 people in Washington State last year, says State Fire Marshal Michael Matlick.

The leading cause of fire fatalities is directly related to cigarettes, which were the cause in 9 (or 18 percent) of the fire fatalities in 2007, and 55 (or 20 percent) of the fire fatalities over the past five years.

"These fires start when the smoker becomes careless with a lit cigarette," says Matlick. "A burning cigarette can cause furniture, bedding or clothing to ignite, starting a fire in close proximity to the smoker. Most often the person who dies in cigarette caused fires is the smoker."

The majority of the 2007 cigarette-related fire deaths occur in homes, where people tend to feel the safest. Nearly 71 percent of these fires occurred in homes without working smoke alarms. The odds of surviving a fire increase greatly if you have working smoke alarms in your home. They provide early notification to the presence of smoke and allow occupants time to escape.

For additional fire safety tips visit the Washington State Patrol - Office of the State Fire Marshal Web page at www.wsp.wa.gov.