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By News Channel 8's Jodi Latina The cigarettes are made to burn out if left unattended. The safety feature will soon be required in Connecticut ...

Governor Jodi Rell is making stores in Connecticut sell fire safe cigarettes.

The cigarettes are made to burn out if left unattended. The safety feature will soon be required in Connecticut, and all are hopeful that it will help save lives.

A blaze last winter killed one Waterbury woman, injured 10 other people and ruined property. Authorities say that the fire was ignited when a neighbor passed out with a lit cigarette in his hand.

In early spring a condominium complex went up in flames and 12 of the units burned. That blaze started when a lit cigarette was thrown off of a balcony.

Meriden Fire Chief, James Trainor is dedicated to wiping out the tragedy that comes from unattended cigarettes. He says it's estimated that 3 out of 4 cigarette fire deaths could have been prevented if fire safe technology was used.

"If they had adopted this technology several years ago 15,000 to 20,000 people would have been alive," said Trainor.

Fire safe technology is a safety mechanism in which cigarettes have banded speed bumps which are filled with microscopic holes.

"The holes allow air to come into the cigarette and cool the ash down which makes the cigarette go out," explained Trainor.

This is a safety standard that could have prevented harm in Meriden and which Governor Rell is requiring Connecticut merchants to support.

From 2003 to 2007 nearly $18,000 in property damage has been racked up because of an unattended lit cigarette.

Today in Meriden she signed a fire safe cigarette bill into law. It requires that any cigarette sold in Connecticut must be "fire safe".

"The highest death rate caused by unattended cigarettes is guess which population?" asked Governor Rell. "Senior citizens who fall asleep while smoking it's the worst thing that could happen," she answered.

Although Governor Rell is quick to point out that no cigarette is safe, she does believe the technology will help prevent the leading cause of fire deaths in the U.S., which is an unattended cigarette.

Being safe doesn't cost a thing as the price of cigarettes will remain the same.

The bill goes in to effect next July. Connecticut will join 6 other states which already have the fire safe standard in place.