Festive season
Many of the things we enjoy over the festive season such as fairy lights, candles, paper hats and decorations can all be fire hazards when proper care is not taken.
Follow our top 10 fire safety tips to make sure you stay safe this Christmas.
1. Check your lights and decoration conform to the British Standard
2. Consider using LED candles, they are much safer. If you do use real candles, never place candles near your tree or furnishings
3. Make sure your family and visitors know what to do in an emergency - there's lots of extra stuff in your house when people stay and when you have decorations up, so reassess your escape plan
4. Decorations can burn easily - don't attach them to lights or heaters
5. Don't overload electrical sockets and switch lights and decorations off and unplug them before you go to bed
6. The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed
7. Most fires start in the kitchen - never leave cooking unattended or cook when under the influence of alcohol
8. Keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach of children. Never leave burning candles unattended
9. Take the time to check on elderly relatives and neighbours this winter - make sure they are fire safe
10. Make sure you have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and test it regularly
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is commited to ensuring 100% of homes in Essex have a working smoke alarm. So, to help this happen, we carry out home safety visits to anyone living in Essex, completely FREE of charge.
Call us: 0300 303 0088
Complete our online booking form
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is encouraging the public to download what3words, a free smartphone app that helps you easily and accurately describe your location.
The app developers have broken the world down into trillions of 3m by 3m squares, each with a unique three-word address. These three words can then be used to pinpoint your location more accurately when sending emergency services to you.
If you want to feel safe on your travels knowing that emergency services will be able to find you easily, download the what3words app today at https://w3w.page.link/4ozM