Main content
Last year, 248 people lost their lives due to a fire at home. Many of these could have been prevented.
Everyday fire risks are present in our homes. Well-known risks include candles and cooking left unattended, covered electrical heaters, overloaded plugs, and cigarettes.
Here are a few ways to keep you and your family, friends and neighbours safe:
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and make sure you can hear them throughout your home
• Test your smoke alarms monthly – they could save your life, but only if they are working
• Offer to test the smoke alarms of an older family member, neighbour or friend who needs help
• Plan and practise how you’d escape in a fire and have a plan B
• Most accidental fires start in the kitchen, so take care and never leave cooking unattended
• Don’t overload plug sockets and adapters – watch out for loose wiring, scorch marks, and hot plugs and sockets
• Keep heaters clear from curtains and furniture and never use them to dry clothes
• Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully – put it out, right out
By following these quick and simple steps, we can reduce the number of fatalities and injuries caused by accidental fires.
Did you know?
• You are over 7 times more likely to die in a fire in the home if there are no working smoke alarms
• Smoke alarms only take a moment to test but they give you and your family the best chance of surviving a fire
Find out more about how you can keep yourself and your family safe here.