Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service Press Release
Stay warm and stay safe

With the country in the grip of a big freeze, people are doing everything they can to stay warm, but it’s important to take steps to stay safe too.

There were 297 chimney fires in Gloucestershire last year and, nationally, 5000 fires were caused by faulty electric blankets, but Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service has lots of tips to help you stay safe this winter.

If you have an open fire, you should use a fire guard to protect against sparks, make sure the fire is under control and then properly put out at night and that chimneys and flues are kept clean and well maintained. Portable heaters should be kept away from curtains and furniture and never used to dry clothes. Where possible, they should be secured to a wall and should always be turned off before you go to bed. Gas or paraffin heaters should only be used in well ventilated rooms

If you use an electric blanket to stay warm, turn it off before you get into bed unless it has a thermostat for overnight use. Don’t use a hot water bottle in the same bed as an electric blanket, even if it is switched off.  

In case of power cuts, it’s important to keep a battery operated light or torch and a mobile phone handy and take special care with candles and matches. It is safer to use a snuffer or spoon to put out a candle in case of sparks, use a candle holder and keep them away from anything that could catch fire, like curtains and Christmas decorations.

People living in thatched properties should fit an extra smoke alarm in the loft that is linked to other alarms in the house, make sure any lightning conductors are in good condition and fit a bulkhead light in the loft as exposed lightbulbs can be a fire risk. Don’t burn any rubbish or let fireworks off near the property.

Chief Fire Officer Terry Standing said, "The winter period can be a particularly risky time for fires due to the need for people to keep warm. You can stay warm and safe by following this simple advice. Having a working smoke alarm is an essential step everyone can take and will give you vital time to escape in the event of a fire in your home."

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, Gloucestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “In the cold, icy weather, people tend to be less active because of a fear of falling, and it is vital that they don’t get too cold. We need to look out for the older and vulnerable people in our communities, especially during the winter, and help them to stay safe as well as warm. I would like to wish everyone in Gloucestershire a happy, healthy Christmas.”

For more information, visit www.glosfire.gov.uk or www.direct.gov.uk/firekills or ring 01452 753333 (Community Safety Team). For a free home fire safety check, including the fitting of free smoke alarms, call 0800 180 41 40.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

These general safety tips are from the leaflet Fire Safety in the Home.

1. Fit smoke alarms at every level
2. Test smoke alarm batteries every week, change them every year and never remove them
3. Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when the cooking is on. Keep matches and candles out of their reach.
4. Take care when cooking with hot oil
5. Extension leads and adaptors have a limit on how much power they can take. Don’t overload them
6. Dispose of cigarettes carefully. Put them out, right out
7. Make sure candles are secure and kept away from flammable items
8. Plan an escape route
9. If there’s a fire, get out, get the fire service out and stay out.
10. Close inside doors at night to stop fire from spreading.

Issued by: Emma Smith, Gloucestershire County Council Media Team, 01452 426887, emma.j.smith@gloucestershire.gov.uk

23rd December 2009