Protecting your home from fire

Fires in the home happen every day across the country for a number of reasons but there are some simple steps that you can take to prevent a fire in your home. There are also things that you can do right now to make sure that you and your family get out and stay safe if you are ever unfortunate enough to experience a fire in the future.

Get a smoke alarm (and don’t remove the battery)

Make sure that your smoke alarm is in a suitable place and if you have a large house, you may need one on every floor. If you’re not sure, test it and see if there are any rooms where it can’t be heard. If that’s the case, you need more smoke alarms.

Test your smoke alarm regularly and replace the batteries every year. If you do have a fire at home that little box of plastic and wires may just save your life.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service offer free home fire safety visits to some people. After checking your home, if they think you need a smoke alarm (or a new one) they’ll not only give it to you for free, but they’ll even install it. Visit the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Smoke Alarm advice for more details.

To see if you are eligible for a free home safety visit telephone 0800 73 11 822 or send a text to 07800 002476.

Know your exits

In a fire your house will look different, it will smell different, it will sound different and you’ll probably be frightened so it’s important to be prepared. Make a plan of escape routes for your home and practice it with your family so everybody knows what to do. We all have to practice fire drills at work and at school, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t practice at home too!

Remember in a fire to get out, stay out and telephone 999. Never go back into your home if it’s on fire. Everything inside can be replaced. You and your loved ones can’t.

Want to know more? Those helpful people at Devon and Somerset Fire and Resuce have a plan your escape webpages.

Stub it out, stub it right out

If you smoke at home it’s important that when you stub out your cigarette, you check that it’s right out. Many home fires are started accidentally by smokers who haven’t put out a cigarette properly.To help prevent a fire in your home why not smoke outside. It’s not only safer, but it will help protect your family from the chemicals in cigarette smoke. Find out more about the national campaign by visiting the Smoke Outside website.

At Safer Communities Torbay we recognise that smoking is a personal choice, but if you would like support to stop, please telephone 01803 299160 or visit the Quit with Help website.

Cook safe

Many fires in the home are started in the kitchen. Remember to keep your kitchen well ventilated, and make sure that you have equipment (like a fire blanket) which will help you quickly if a fire starts. Find out more on the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Kitchen safety webpages.

Keep it straight, keep it safe!

Hair straighteners may be an unlikely fire starter but with many of them reaching temperatures around 180ºC they can be a fire risk in your home. When you’ve finished with your hair straighteners (and are looking gorgeous), make sure they’re turned off and that they can rest on a heat resistant surface until they've cooled down.

Sleep tight

Electric blankets can be great for keeping warm, but damaged blankets can cause house fires. There are dedicated Electric Blanket pages on the AgeUK website that give information and advice about how to use an electric blanket safely.

Everybody needs good neighbours

If you know of someone in your neighbourhood that you think may be vulnerable and you are concerned about their home safety, make an enquiry to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service on free phone 0800 73 11 822.

Contacting the Fire and Rescue Service

In an emergency you can contact the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service by telephone 999. You can also contact the service for general non-emergency enquiries on telephone 01392 872 200 (24 hours). Visit the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Contact Us pages to find out more.