Following a fatal house fire in Nuneaton yesterday, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging residents to think carefully about fire safety in the home, especially during this time of self-i...
Following a fatal house fire in Nuneaton yesterday, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging residents to think carefully about fire safety in the home, especially during this time of self-isolation.
We know that there are some real changes in homes across Warwickshire with more people working from home, people self-isolating or social distancing.
This brings additional risks when it comes to fire safety in the home. There are, however, many ways for you to reduce the risk. Simple actions, such as not overloading plug sockets, this doesn’t just mean not plugging too many things into one extension lead, but also being mindful that what you are plugging in doesn’t exceed the maximum current rating stated for the extension lead. This could cause the plug in the wall socket to overheat and possibly cause a fire. If you are unsure, why not use the online socket calculator to check -
Equally if you’re cooking, please ensure that you don’t leave things like tea towels on the hob. They can quickly ignite causing a fire to spread rapidly.
With children at home there will obviously be a lot more distractions, especially around mealtimes. If you are cooking, please ensure that you don’t leave your cooking unattended. Fires start when your attention stops, so ensure that you take pans off the heat if you are distracted by a call from work or family members.
Whenever possible, especially when you’re asleep, keep all internal doors closed. This helps to stop fire spreading. If a fire does happen, don’t be tempted to tackle it yourself. Get out, stay out and call 999.
Talking about home fire safety, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Services Group Manager, Tim Sargent said:
“We want everyone to be as safe as possible, but we can’t do this without your help, so please follow our safety advice. Don’t overload plug sockets, ensure that if you are distracted when cooking that you take pans of the heat and don’t leave phones or tablets on charge when you go to bed at night. Sadly, we attended an incident yesterday where despite the best efforts of all involved, the resident lost their life. So please stay safe, follow our advice and ensure that you have a working smoke alarm on each floor of your home.”
For more information on fire safety visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/firesafety