Wednesday 6 January
13.00hrs
With snow and freezing temperatures affecting the whole region
Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) is urging people to Keep
Warm, Keep Safe.
During the cold snap we tend to spend more time in our homes,
using a range of methods to keep ourselves warm. However ignoring a
few basic precautions could cause a house fire to start with
devastating consequences.
Neil Liddington, Deputy Head of AF&RS Community Safety said:
“During freezing conditions like we’ve seen this week we tend to
spend more time in our homes, heating them in many different
ways.
“If used correctly most heating appliances pose no danger, but
during the colder spells we tend to see a rise in the number of
house fires we attend that involve things like electric heaters,
open fires and electric blankets.
“The Keep Warm, Keep Safe campaign aims to remind those most at
risk, such as older people, those with long term illnesses or
families with young children, to just take extra care.
“Simple steps like remembering to unplug electric heaters when
you’re not in the room and keeping them well away from curtains and
furniture, can seriously reduce the risk of having a devastating
fire in the home.
“Sometimes however accidents do happen, so having working smoke
alarms in your home can give you vital extra minutes to get out of
the property in the event of a fire. Make sure you test the
batteries every week.”
Keep Warm, Keep Safe safety tips
- Keep heaters away from curtains and furniture and never
use them for drying clothes.
- Always unplug electrical heaters when you go out or go to
bed.
- Unless the instructions say it is safe to do so, always
unplug electric blankets before getting into bed.
- Never use hot water bottles and electric blankets in the
same bed, even if the blanket is off.
- Make sure open fires are protected by a guard to stop
flying sparks and embers
- Chimneys and flues should be swept regularly and well
maintained.
For more information see the Fire Safety in Winter (PDF 760kb, opens
in a new window)