As many UK households continue to struggle with the cost of living, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Cleveland Fire Brigade are urging people to take fire safety precautions in the home to help stay safe.
The advice comes ahead of NFCC’s national Home Fire Safety Week which takes place between June 12th and 18th, which aims to reduce residents’ risk of house fires.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to impact the way people live and many households looking at ways to save money, people could unknowingly be putting themselves at a higher risk of having a house fire by adopting unsafe and unconventional practices.
Robin Turnbull, Area Manager – Prevention, Protection and Engagement said; “The most common causes of fires in the house which we attend involve smoking materials, cooking, and electricals.
Smoking being the number one cause of accidental fire deaths in the UK. As people look at ways to save money they may be tempted to buy cheaper fake and illegal cigarettes, however these significantly increase the risk of having a fire. If you’re not ready to quit yet ensure you only buy legal cigarettes and smoke outside of your house where possible.
Another top cause of fires our crews attend involve electrical products. To help ensure the electrical products in your house are safe we’d encourage people to only buy from reputable sellers and known brands and to register all their appliances at www.registermyappliance.org.uk/registration/.
Over half of fires attended by crews start in the kitchen, making it the most dangerous room in the home. We want to remind communities to never leave cooking unattended, avoid cooking whilst tired or under the influence of alcohol or medication and to ensure they keep their oven and hob clean as a build-up of dirt, grease and food debris is potential fuel for a fire.
As part of Home Fire Safety Week we’d like to make our communities aware of our FREE Safer Homes visits, which involves a member of our friendly Prevention Team coming to your house and completing a number of quick and simple checks which will help reduce the risk of fire.
The visits, which typically only last around 20 minutes will involve us checking that your smoke alarm(s) are working and if needed, we will fit new ones, as well as checking that families have a viable escape route in place in the event of a fire. They can advise on preventing slips, trips and falls, as well as assisting people who are more vulnerable and at higher risk of having a fire in their home.”
Figures show that between April 2022 and March 2023, Cleveland Fire Brigade completed approximately 21,000 Safer Home Visits. They are encouraging residents to ensure they have smoke and carbon monoxide alarms fitted on each floor of their home which can help save lives and keep homes safe.
It’s never been easier to book a Safer Homes visit, with residents now having the option to request one online via a simple form. The form can be found at https://www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/book-a-safer-homes-visit/.
These visits can unlock vital safety help, advice and solutions and where needed signpost people to partner organisations for further support.
Click here for more safety tips and advice on how to stay safe in your home.
