State Rep. Tim Solobay is not, and has never been, a smoker. With 30 years of firefighting experience, however, he's all too aware of what can happen when an unattended cigarette is left burning near a mattress or other flammable household item.

Each year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, cigarette-ignited fires kill 700 to 900 people and injure another 3,000. And it's not just the smoker who gets hurt or killed in these accidental blazes. A quarter of all victims are simply in the house at the time, including children and the elderly.

Nearly one in 10 fatal building fires begins with a cigarette, the agency says.

"And most of it is unintentional carelessness," said Rep. Solobay, D-Canonsburg.

So when state Fire Commissioner Ed Mann brought the idea of "fire-safe" cigarettes to Rep. Solobay's attention earlier this year, along with the fact that a growing number of states were enacting laws mandating their sale, he did more than just listen.

In June, Rep. Solobay followed the lead of lawmakers in about 30 other states and introduced legislation that would require all cigarettes sold in Pennsylvania to meet fire-safe standards set by the American Society of Testing and Materials.

"It's really a no-brainer," said Rep. Solobay, who also is assistant chief of the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Company. "As legislators, our job is to do what's best for consumers. This seemed like a common-sense venture."

Pennsylvania is actually a little slow on the draw. To date, 22 states -- including 16 this year alone -- have passed fire-safe cigarette mandates, including tobacco-growing giants North Carolina and Kentucky.

New York was the first in 2003, followed by Vermont and California in 2005. Ten states are actively considering such legislation.

More than 50 percent of U.S. residents live in states in which fire-safe cigarette laws have passed or are already in effect. Each state has used the standard established by New York four years ago.

Now that it's been introduced, though, Pennsylvania's bill appears to be on the fast track. Referred to the House Consumer Affairs Committee on June 21, it was passed unanimously by the House on Oct. 23. It now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

With any luck, Rep. Solobay said, it'll be sitting on the governor's desk for his signature before the end of the year, and will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.

Although fire-safe cigarettes have received a great deal of attention this year, the technology for "reduced ignition propensity" cigarettes, as they're known in the industry, has existed for decades. In the late 1970s, the U.S. Senate considered requiring self-extinguishing cigarettes, according to the National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Massachusetts.

Fire-safe cigarettes are not entirely fireproof. Instead, they automatically stop burning after a few seconds if they're not puffed by the smoker.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, which are wrapped in paper made from flax or linen fiber, fire-safe cigarettes have two or three added bands of ultra-thin paper. These rings act as "speed bumps" to slow down the rate at which the cigarette burns as the lit end crosses over them.

Cigarette manufacturers have long fought any kind of legislation, arguing, among other things, that fire-safe cigarettes instill a false sense of security in consumers.

On its company Web site, for instance, Philip Morris USA notes that "anything that burns, if handled carelessly, can cause a fire, including cigarettes with reduced ignition propensity. They should be handled and disposed of properly, just like regular cigarettes."

A 2005 study by the Harvard School of Public Health, however, found that the fire-safe cigarettes sold in New York actually were far more likely to go out if left unattended. It also found that there had been no change in the price of cigarettes and no decrease in tax revenue from cigarettes.

So not only are they about the same cost as traditional cigarettes, those who light up don't seem to mind them.

"It's just like anything else," said Rep. Solobay. "Change is met with resistance, even if it's a positive thing."

There are signs that cigarette manufacturers are starting to come around. R.J. Reynolds announced Oct. 25 that it would manufacture all of its brands using fire-safe technology by the end of 2009.

The product's successful climb up the legislative ladder can be attributed largely to the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which is coordinated by the NFPA. Along with public events to create public awareness, the coalition provides states with background information, legislative updates and model legislation.

Fire-safe cigarettes are getting such good response that the campaign is going global. Canada mandated self-extinguishing cigarettes in 2005, and European Commission officials are now developing an EU-wide standard for the cigarettes that would be similar to ones in the United States. If passed, it would make fire-safe cigarettes mandatory throughout the 27-nation bloc.

At this stage, however, it's Pennsylvania residents Rep. Solobay is most interested in protecting from cigarette-related fires and deaths.

"Think of all the people who can be saved, and all of the property damage," he said.

Believe it or not, the legislator adds, the bill's passage could even help in the fight against terrorism. Cigarettes, he explains, sometimes are used to light explosive devices because they afford the person lighting it five minutes or so to get away.

"I know it's a stretch," he says. "But if a cigarette puts itself out, it can't be used as a fuse device."