Fire

The Fire Brigade attend some 57.800 fires at homes across the country every year. Around 500 people are killed by Fire in Britain every year, and some 14,100 people are injured. In the majority of cases smoke inhalation and being overcome by smoke are the reasons for the fatalities.

Common causes of fire include:

• Matches, lighters and candles
• Cooking, chip pans and deep fat fryers
• Electrical appliances such as steam irons, bar heaters and curling tongs and of course the obvious one - SMOKING.

What can you do?

• Keep matches, lighters and candles out of the reach of children.
• If you use a chip pan, bin it. Invest in a sealed, thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer.
• Switch off electrical appliances when not in use. Never leave televisions etc on standby.
• Always ensure that matches and cigarettes are fully extinguished before you dispose of them run them under the tap if you can

Fire Detection

If your home doesn't have smoke detectors, go out and buy some or ask your landlord to install at least one for each floor of your home. A standard battery operated smoke detector, which require the battery to be changed every nine months to a year start at £5 – a small price to pay for something that could save your life.

Remember! It is essential that you test the operation of these detectors on a regular basis (weekly is recommended): most are fitted with a test button.

Fire Fighting Equipment

Fire extinguishers for home use are available from most DIY stores and supermarkets. There are four types available and prices start from as little as £16. All fire extinguishers are red in colour, with an appropriate colour band to indicate type. i.e.

• Carbon Dioxide (Co2) (Black Label)
• Foam (AFFF) (Cream Label)
• Dry Powder (Blue Label)
• Water (Red Label)

Only two of these extinguishers are safe to use on electrical appliances, as the extinguishing agent used does not conduct electricity. These are Carbon Dioxide and Dry Powder ones.

Foam is excellent for tackling fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol or diesel and would be useful for a garage or areas where these types of materials are stored

Water is excellent for fires involving paper and wood but as with foam, care should be taken to avoid their use on electrical appliances, as this could result in the operator receiving an electric shock, which could be fatal.

If you must use a chip pan then fire blankets are particularly useful in a kitchen as they can be used to combat this type of fire. In the event of a chip pan fire turn off the cooker and place the fire blanket over the top of the pan. This cuts off the air supply to the fire and it can no longer bum. Always leave the blanket over the pan until the oil has fully cooled, as removing it whilst the fat is hot may result in re-ignition. Never try to move a burning chip pan, the results can be catastrophic.

Fire Evacuation

Don’t panic - create a Fire Plan.  It’s a plan that, hopefully, you will never need to put into action but it could save the lives of you and your flatmates. Make sure all the members of your household know what to do in the event of a fire. An action plan detailing routes and steps to take should be discussed, and suggestions of things to include are given below:

• If you have access to a phone, contact the emergency services and give as many details as you can, i.e. persons trapped and their location.
• Stop smoke entering a room by wedging clothing or a towel under a door.
• Keep low to the floor in the event of having to exit through a smoke filled area.
• If no escape route is available then go to a window where you can be rescued and let people know you are there by waving something bright or shouting.
• If you are going to have to jump from a window, throw out any mattresses, quilts and any other items that will soften and break your fall.
• Wherever possible, hang and drop to the ground. This will lessen the distance you have to fall.
• If you lock your door at night, and most of us do, make sure that everyone in the house is aware of where the keys are. Remember this door may be the only way out.