The smoke clouds produced by these devices have prompted residents and passers-by to assume a fire was burning, before doing the responsible thing in informing the fire service.
The incidents, caused by the chemicals designed to kill insects and fleas by fumigating the property, have seen firefighters respond arriving on scene and gaining entry to discover it was a false alarm.
Station Manager Pete McClemont said:
“The fumes which these devices can generate are enough to set off smoke alarms in your home. Smoke bombs are best left to pest control experts, who know how to manage the risks.
“The people who reported these incidents to the fire service by dialling 999 did exactly the right thing upon hearing an alarm and seeing smoke.
“Had they known that smoke bombs were in use inside, that information could have been shared with us at the time of call and a more appropriate response sent, keeping our fire engines available to respond to real emergencies.”
These calls, some of which involved blocks of flats, see a couple of fire engines, and in some cases, aerial ladder vehicles mobilised, taking these vehicles off-the-run for the duration of the incident, and unavailable to respond to real emergency situations.
Crews from Hightown, St Mary’s, Eastleigh and Burley all responded to calls reporting smoke and a sounding alarm at separate incidents in August alone.
Around 20 firefighters were called on Tuesday morning to a flat in Ventnor Court, Southampton after an alarm was heard and smoke spotted in a third-floor flat.
Due to the information provided, the incident was treated as if there were residents inside, so firefighters quickly forced entry to find the alarm was caused by a flea bomb.
An ambulance crew were stood down but firefighters remained on the scene to help clear smoke and conduct a home fire safety check.
Before using smoke bombs in your property make sure you follow our safety guidance:
- Use professional companies or seek proper advice before using fumigation bombs.
- Inform neighbours and nearby residents before using a fumigation device.
- Inform the fire service of the work you are undertaking so that we are aware in case we receive any calls.
- Some products come with a notice which you can place on your door to inform passers-by that you have a smoke bomb in operation.
- Follow the instructions on the device closely to ensure that you are using it safely, and in the appropriate location.
- The chemicals involved could be harmful, so think of the safety of you and those near to you.
Advice on smoke alarms and keeping fire safe in the home can be found at https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/safety/home-safe-home/smoke-alarms/.