Please see below 10 tops tips for keeping your home fire safe:
- Fit smoke alarms on each floor level, keep them dust free and test them once a week.
- Make a fire action plan so that everyone in your home knows how to escape in the event of a fire. Make sure that everyone can find keys for doors and windows easily.
- Keep exits clear of obstructions so that people can make their escape.
- Take care in the kitchen - accidents while cooking account for 59% of fires in the home.
- Take extra care with hot cooking oil – consider buying an electric thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer if you don’t use one already.
- Never leave lit candles unattended and ensure they are in a secure, non-flammable holder.
- Dispose of cigarette ends carefully and never smoke in bed.
- Don’t overload electrical sockets, especially when using multi-socket extensions.
- Don’t leave the TV or other electrical appliances on standby.
- Keep matches and lighters away from children.
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Never leave a candle unattended and remember to extinguish it before you go to sleep
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Make sure the candle is standing up straight and is firmly fixed in a proper holder so it can't fall over. Scented candles turn to liquid in order to release their fragrance, so always burn them in a suitable glass or metal container that will not leak the liquid and can withstand the heat from it
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Always place candles on a heat resistant surface. Nightlights and tealights can melt plastic surfaces, such as the top of the TV and the side of a bath tub
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Keep candles out of draughts, blowing curtains and sources of heat or direct sunlight
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Always leave at least 10cm (four inches) between two candles and never place them under shelves or other surfaces
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Extinguish candles before they burn into holders
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Burn all candles well out of reach of children and pets
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Always put candles out before you move them. Using a 'snuffer' or a spoon is safer than blowing them out, which can send sparks and hot wax flying
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Consider an extra smoke alarm in the rooms where you burn candles
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NEVER use outdoor candles indoors
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NEVER lean across a candle - you could set your hair or clothes on fire
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NEVER play with candles
Fire Service call-outs
Did you know in 2020/21 the Fire Service attended:
Incidents at SHG properties
False alarms
Actual fires
The cost of one fire engine attending a false alarm
At a tower block the Fire Service will send a minimum of 4 or 5 engines.