You and your family are eight times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm. That’s because, if a fire breaks out at night, you won’t smell the smoke and wake up. Instead, the poisonous fumes will send you deeper into sleep. So it makes sense to have a smoke alarm upstairs and downstairs, to save you from smoke that can kill in minutes, before you even wake up.
You can download the Fire Safe Families Fact Sheet for advice.
Prevent fires
• Cooking fires are the main cause of fires in the home – stay in the kitchen if children
are cooking
• Keep matches, lighters and lit candles or tea-lights well out of reach of young children
and teach children not to play with them
• Take care not to plug lots of chargers and equipment into an extension lead from
one electrical socket – the socket will be dangerously overloaded
• Stay close by when you have fat heating and never pour water onto hot fat
• Store things like hair straighteners safely – avoid leaving them switched on or where a child might be able to switch them on
• Double check your cigarette is out and be careful smoking if you’re really tired (or in bed) in case you fall asleep with it in your hand.
Check your smoke alarms
• You need a working smoke alarm upstairs and downstairs
• Test your alarms every month
• If you live in rented housing your landlord is responsible for providing alarms.
Plan your escape
• Work out your escape route in case of a fire and practice it with your family
• Keep the stairs and escape route clear of clutter at night
• Keep keys to any doors on your escape route in one place so you know where
they are in an emergency.
Teach children what to do if they see a fire
• To tell someone straight away – a grown-up if possible
• Don’t try to put the fire out yourself
• Get outside as quickly as possible. Don’t try to hide from the fire
• Never go back inside for anything.
Download the Fire Safe Families Fact Sheet
