BECAUSE WHERE THERE’S SMOKING, THERE COULD BE FIRE In the aftermath of a West Houston grass fire that scorched 1500 acres of George Bush Park, Mayor Parker and some city council members are considering instituting a temporary smoking ban at all city parks for as long as the drought lasts. This week city council gave its blessing to a ban Parker instituted earlier on open-flame barbecuing and grilling in city parks. A burn ban in county parks — which includes smoking — has been in effect since April. [Houston Chronicle; park fire]
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Dry grass is dry grass whether it is in a City Park or not. Too many drivers carelessly litter our roadways with their cigarette butts ficking them out their windows when they’ve consumed their nicotene allotment. So whether it’s a city park or some esplanade in a neighborhood, too many cigarette smokers threaten any area in our city by their means of disposal. I realize come city parks are wide-open grassy parkland or timbered woods, so these are naturally a tenderbox waiting to ignite and spread uncontrollably into an unmanageable size. But similar large fires could also happen in neighborhoods where many lawns have dried and homeowners may be away unable to quickly respond. But really, I don’t care if it’s dry or raining – quit flicking your butts you litter bugs!
This is true.
Once, I saw a dry median start up in flames by the cigarette-butt-flicking driver in front of me at a light.
There WASN’T a major drought at that time and it only burned about 18″ diameter and went out on its own.
Sometimes, these days, I worry that the glint off my windshield will make a fireball out of a cruchy shrub as I drive by!
I realize there are all sorts of issues surrounding this, but I kind of wish smoking wasn’t allowed in parks drought or not. Nothing like pushing your kid on the swings and both of you getting wonderful wafts of cigarette smoke. Ah, fresh air.