Heating danger warning

Low temperatures this January could cause an increased risk of fires in the home, say South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. People are also asked to look out for elderly neighbours this winter as part of their ‘Safe and Warm’ drive to cut domestic fires.

Almost 200 house fires were started accidentally in each of the last two winters—a hike of around 20 percent above the warmer summer months.

Diane Malpass, Station manager in community safety, said: “The number of house fires we attend continues to fall steadily every year. But as winter really starts to bite, we do see a seasonal increase in certain types of incident, such as accidental blazes started by heaters or unsafe electrical appliances.

“Just asking yourself a few simple questions about the safety of the equipment before switching it on, might be enough to protect you and your family from a serious fire.

“Where electrical items are concerned, remembering to switch them off after use and before you go to bed is one of the surest ways of ensuring they don’t become a fire risk.”

She added: “Spending just a few minutes with an older person who lives alone—maybe once a day or a couple of times a week—checking the safety of their heaters and electrics and testing their smoke alarm could make a massive difference to that person’s safety this winter.”

Advice offered by firefighters includes keeping heaters away from curtains and furniture, not using heaters to dry clothes, using a guard around open fires to protect against flying sparks and making sure that embers are properly extinguished before going to bed.

Electric blankets should never be used in the same bed as a hot water bottle—even when switched off—and candles should not be left unattended or on flammable surfaces.

More information on staying safe in the home this winter is available at www.syfire.gov.uk.

Temperatures set to drop at the end of this week: Latest weather forecast, click here.