As wildfire season approaches, the Lab is reminding all employees, affiliates, and visitors of an important safety rule: smoking is completely banned across Lab property on any day designated as a Red Flag Warning.
A Red Flag Warning is issued by the National Weather Service when warm temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds combine to create conditions where wildfires can ignite and spread rapidly. On these days, even a single spark can have devastating consequences.
Because of our location in an area vulnerable to severe wildland fire hazards, the usual rules around designated smoking areas no longer apply on these high-risk days. When a Red Flag Warning is in effect, no smoking is permitted anywhere on Lab property, including in designated smoking areas and in personal vehicles. This applies to all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes and personal vaporizers, and smokeless tobacco.
“The Lab sits on 200 acres of wildland with steep hillsides and dry vegetation, making us especially vulnerable to wildfires. A single tossed cigarette on a Red Flag Warning day could spark a fire that endangers both the Lab and our neighboring community. It’s imperative everyone follows the no-smoking policy on these days — it keeps all of us safe.” — Mike Torkelson, Fire Marshal
The Lab will notify the community of active Red Flag Warnings via a Labwide email. You can also check current conditions at status.lbl.gov.
On all other days, smoking remains restricted to designated smoking areas and in personal vehicles only. View the full policy here, and use the Berkeley Lab Smoking Area Map to find a designated area near you.
For information on smoking health effects and resources for quitting, visit the Tobacco Treatment Program website.
