Abstract: An extinguishing device for lighted articles such as cigars, cigarettes and the like. The extinguishing device comprises a housing having a first hollow compartment for containing an extinguishing liquid such as water, and a second hollow compartment containing a capillary material which provides sufficiently small pores therethroughout to provide by capillary action wetting of the capillary material when extinguishing liquid is introduced into the second compartment, the capillary material being such as to maintain its integrity when wetted with extinguishing liquid. The second compartment has an open end, and the housing is provided with a passageway interconnecting the first compartment with the second compartment to transfer water from the first compartment into the second compartment to wet the capillary material. An extinguishing member of wettable material is also provided for the open end of the second compartment for extinguishing a lighted article which comes in contact therewith.