There are a few things you can do to protect your home from fires. Investing in fire safety kits and knowing what to do when a fire starts will help if a fire ever occurs in your home. It's also really important to know what you can do and how to escape if there is a fire.
Fire safety kits
Fire safety kits have all the essentials you need to manage a small house fire. These kits usually include a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, dry powder fire extinguisher and often a first aid kit. They can be bought from shops like B&Q and Screwfix.
Don’t leave high risk items unattended
You can prevent fires from happening in your home by not leaving items such as candles and chip fryers unattended. Always make sure you blow candles out and turn hobs off when you’re not in the room.
Watch your extension leads
Don’t overload extension leads and always remove excess plugs from the extension lead when not being used. Never plug an extension lead into another extension lead and always check the wires for any damage or fraying before you use it.
What to do when a fire starts
If you experience a small house fire, you should:
- If you have a fire safety kit, pick out the relevant equipment you need to put out the fire
- Close the door of the room where the fire is present to prevent the spread of fire and smoke
- Call 999
If you experience a big house fire, you should:
- Tell everyone in your home and follow your evacuation policy/use your pre-planned escape route
- Stay low or crawl if the smoke has risen
- Call 999 as soon as it’s safe to do so
- Never go back inside the house to collect belongings or pets
Make sure you test your smoke alarm every month. If you spot something that might be a fire risk, please report it to us so we can look into it immediately. Read more on fire safety in your home here.
