Oregon State Fire Marshal Nancy Orr is leading a nationwide effort in calling for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to prohibit the sale and distribution of novelty lighters, which resemble toy versions of such common items as cell phones and footballs. The sale of novelty lighters has already been banned in Europe.

Orr's office has partnered with The Idea Bank to create a video-based Web page to gather fire incident data. In a video message on the Web site, Orr asks fire professionals, "Do you know of a fire or burn injury involving a child using a novelty lighter? If you do, please complete the incident report form we've provided and email the information to us. Together, we can eliminate novelty lighters and the fire dangers they create."

Orr points out that gathering incident reports is essential, as the CPSC requires nationwide data before considering changes to existing regulations. The Web page also offers PDF forms for incident reports and letters.