Fire Safety

Remember, never try and tackle a fire yourself – if a fire starts in your home, call 999.

We’ve pulled together some top tips to help you stay safe in your home, and avoid a household fire:

Plan ahead:

• Create an emergency evacuation plan
• Make sure everyone living in the house knows where keys are
• Keep all escape routes clear
• Show your family your escape route and make sure everyone can open doors
• Have a second option escape route in case the first is blocked
• If any changes are made to your home, review your evacuation plan

In the event of a fire:

• Stay calm and act quickly – tell everyone to get out
• Don’t waste time trying to take valuables with you
• Close all doors behind you to contain the fire

If your escape route is blocked:

• Call 999 immediately
• Stay in a room far away from the fire and wait for the fire service to arrive
• If you can’t get to a phone, open a window and shout for help
• Put towels or bedding around the bottom of the door to reduce the smoke getting in

Fire prevention tips:

• Regularly (we advise once a month) test your fire alarm is still working.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Always keep a close eye on your cooking – especially if you use a chip pan.
• Keep all appliances and combustible materials such as tea towels and kitchen role away from the cooker when lit.
• Never leave burning candles unattended and make sure they are in a suitable holder. Find out more about using candles safely on Cheshire Fire & Rescue’s website here.
• Don’t overload electrical extension leads/adapters.