Fire Safety in the Home
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Fire Kills
Many fires in the home are caused by a single moment of carelessness and could easily be prevented. It is important to be aware of possible fire hazards around the home and to take steps to protect you and your family from fire.
Preventing common fires
Over half of all fires in the home are caused by cooking accidents, but there are important precautions you can take to keep you and your family safe in the kitchen.
- Always take extra care with hot oil
- Do not leave children alone in the kitchen when cooking
- Make sure you keep matches and saucepan handles out of their reach to keep them safe
Other common fires in the home can be prevented by following these steps:
- Make sure that candles are in secure holders, away from hazards and never leave them unattended
- Do not overload electrical sockets
- Put cigarettes out properly
Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms detect smoke at the earliest stages of fire, giving you vital extra time to escape. Ensuring you have a working smoke alarm fitted is an important precaution to protect your home and family from fire.
Fit alarms in every room of your home except kitchens or bathroom as smoke or steam could accidentally set them off — remember to test batteries every week and never remove working batteries.
Planning your escape route
Planning an escape route is crucial in being prepared for an emergency and can save you valuable time in the event of a fire. Make sure everyone knows how to escape and keep all exits clear. Always keep keys for doors and windows where everyone can find them easily.
If there is a fire, get everyone out of the building as soon as possible and call 999.
How to escape a high level building
- Avoid using lifts and balconies if there is a fire.
- It’s easy to get confused in smoke, so count how many doors you need to go through to reach the stairs.
- Check there is nothing in the corridors or stairways that could catch fire – like boxes or rubbish.
- Make sure doors to stairways are not locked.
- Make sure everyone in the building knows where the fire alarms are.
- You should still get a smoke alarm for your own home, even if there is a warning system in the block.
You are more at risk from a fire when asleep
So it’s a good idea to carry out these checks around your home before you go to bed.
- Close inside doors at night to stop a fire from spreading.
- Turn off and unplug electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on – like your freezer.
- Check your cooker is turned off.
- Don’t leave the washing machine on.
- Turn heaters off and put up fireguards.
- Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
- Make sure exits are kept clear. Keep door and window keys where everyone can find them.
FACTS
Did you know…?
- You’re twice as likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a smoke alarm that works.
- 90 people die each year because the battery in their smoke alarm was flat or missing.
- Over half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents.
- More than five fires a day are started by unattended or poorly positioned candles.
- Every three days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette.
- Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets) cause around 7,000 house fires across the country every year.
