Coronavirus: Fire chiefs urge people to stay safe at home - The Leamington Observer

Coronavirus: Fire chiefs urge people to stay safe at home

Leamington Editorial 23rd Mar, 2020 Updated: 23rd Mar, 2020   0

FIRE chiefs are urging people to stay safe at home.

In the coming weeks more people across Warwickshire will be working from home, self-isolating or social distancing.

A Warwickshire Fire & Rescue spokesperson said: “Fortunately, there are lots of things that you can do to reduce the chances of having a fire in your home, the most important being to ensure that you have working smoke alarms fitted onto each floor of your home.

“With children at home there will obviously be a lot more distractions, especially around mealtimes. If you are cooking, please ensure that you don’t leave your cooking unattended. Fires start when your attention stops, so ensure that you take pans off the heat if you are distracted by a call from work or family members.




“Equally if you’re cooking, please ensure that you don’t leave things like tea towels on the hob. They can quickly ignite causing a fire to spread rapidly.

“If you are working from home as well as trying to keep the rest of the family entertained, remember not to overload plug sockets as extension leads can only handle so much power. The chances are if you overload the sockets, they will blow.


“Remember also, if you are going to leave your home, don’t leave washing machines or tumbles dryers on and do not leave electrical items such as tablets, laptops or mobile phones on charge. This is particularly important if you are using an alternative or faulty charger as they can easily overheat and catch fire.

“Whenever possible, especially when you’re asleep, keep all internal doors closed. This helps to stop fire spreading. If a fire does happen, don’t be tempted to tackle it yourself. Get out, stay out and call 999.”

Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/firesafety for further information.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Leamington Observer newspaper.

Recruitment

Find a career you'll love with our free career finder website.

Subscribe

Receive a weekly update to your inbox by signing up to our weekly newsletter.