Cigarettes are the leading cause of home fatalities in the U-S. Killing between 700-900 people a year.

"I've been to fires where somebody had fallen asleep on the couch, once a cigarette takes hold of a couch it doesn't take very long," says Honolulu Fire Chief, Kenneth Silva.

That's about to change. A new type cigarette has hit the market.

"This is one of the hottest items that we're talking about,' says Silva.

Hawaii will soon join twenty-seven other states in requiring only "fire safe" cigarettes to be sold in stores.

"As pun, we were a blaze to get this passed," says Representative Ryan Yamane, (D) Mililani, Waphau, Waipio.

"To me this was a no brainer on helping and supporting the people of our state."

This is how it works, a fire safe cigarette acts just as a regular cigarette. But if it's not puffed on every few minutes, the flame will then go out.

You can see the difference. When left in an ashtray a "fire safe" cigarette on the right goes out within minutes. While a regular safe cigarette on the left keeps on burning.

"I know first hand that cigarettes and any smoking material is dangerous," says Silva.

Fire safe cigarettes are wrapped in special paper with ultra-thin bands that work like speed bumps...to slow down the burn and self-extinguish.

"If we don't have to go to fires, if we don't expose ourselves to those kinds of risks we're better off also," says Silva.

"There will be no additional charge to the cigarettes, so it won't cost more," says Yamanae. "What we heard, it won't change the quality of the cigarettes at all."

Most tobacco companies are already converting all of their brands over to "fire safe" cigarettes.

Hawaii stores will see the change by September next year.

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