The temperatures noticeably dipped last week and HIWFRS attended three chimney fires, all of which were thankfully quickly extinguished and caused only minimal damage.
While national fire and rescue statistics show, chimney fires have been steadily decreasing over the years, it is important that people still ensure they take precautions.
This Chimney Safety Week (4-10 September) HIWFRS is reminding people of some simple tips that will greatly reduce the chances of having a fire in your chimney and help to keep you safe:
- sweep the chimney before use if you haven’t used it for some time
- ensure a fireguard is in front of the fire at all times
- sparkguards can prevent a serious property fire
- extinguish the fire before going to bed or leaving the house
- never use petrol or paraffin to light your fire
- Make sure you have a working Carbon Monoxide Alarm
For further safety advice visit our Chimney safety page
If you have a chimney fire dial 999 and ask for the fire service.