Cigarette butts concern firefighters in dry conditions - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Indiana counties aren't taking any chances with the dry conditions. So far, 60 counties have enacted a burn ban.

A red flag warning, issued Monday, heightens the risk for fires, from a small grass fire to a raging forest fire and it doesn't take much to spark a blaze.

Micky Plummer spends a great deal of his time outdoors.

"I'm out here everyday. Everyday," Plummer said.

Instead of enjoying the summer sun, the east side homeowner is busy cleaning up what people are throwing out of their cars, which is mostly cigarette butts.

"I pick up 20-25 a day or better, at least," said Plummer.

While these are an annoyance for Plummer, tossed cigarette butts are sparking fires on parched grass along Indiana roadways.

"About once a day, I hear over the radio, they dispatch a grass fire by the interstate. I would say 99 percent of them were started by someone throwing a cigarette out the window," said Indiana State Police Trooper Kurt Steinkamp.

In Fishers, firefighters have knocked down more than 50 fires this month. Firefighters say most of them were sparked by carelessly discarded cigarette butts.

Flicking a cigarette is against the law and carries a fine ranging from $135-160, depending on the county. But enforcing the law is a bit tricky for law enforcement.

"It's something we have to see to be able to enforce it," said Steinkamp.

But the trooper said it happens all the time by smokers who don't realize they are breaking the law.

"I've had people throw it out, hit my car, I've walked up to cars on a traffic stop and have people throw a cigarette out with me standing right there," said Steinkamp.

Indiana State Fire Marshal Jim Greeson is concerned with no relief in sight from the drought, these fires will put drivers and firefighters at risk.

"Large trucks go by, other vehicular traffic goes by and if they can't see the firefighters because of the smoke conditions, it can become very hazardous," Greeson said.

Plummer is worried his yard might catch fire because of a careless smoker. He says the only way it will stop is if smokers are hit hard where it hurts the most.

"There needs to be a stiffer penalty for it, that's for sure," said Plummer.

In the meantime, state troopers will step up enforcement, especially with the ground prime for a fire.