Ideally there should be no smoking anywhere in the museum. The entrance to the building should have receptacles for the disposal of cigarettes and other smoking materials. Many local societies have a kitchen or a place to make coffee. The museum should prominently post a set of clean-up procedures. Such a list should begin with turning off and unplugging all electrical appliances.
Electrical fires are common and often preventable with common sense.
Use extension cords in as few places as possible, never overload them, and throw away frayed or worn cords immediately. Historical societies in historic buildings usually inherit poor wiring. In such cases, upgraded wiring should be a high priority. Where the expense of rewiring prohibits immediate upgrading for the entire building, one interim safeguard is to run new wiring in conduit to essential circuits. These might include the furnace, night lights, and a security system.