Festive house fires plea

The Fire Brigades Union has called strike periods on Christmas Eve from 7pm to midnight and New Year’s Eve from 6.30pm to 12.30am, prompting fears that residents distracted by marking the Christmas and New Year period will forget even basic home safety precautions, like keeping an eye on their cooking.

Alcohol-related fires traditionally spike over Christmas, with December typically the busiest month of the year for this type of incident.

So officers are also reminding people not to attempt to cook after a night out as the party season gets into full swing.

Chief fire officer James Courtney said: “Cooking is still the biggest cause of house fires, so with these two strike periods both falling on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

“All we’re asking is that people are sensible and take extra care in the kitchen, don't leave their cooking unattended and don’t attempt to cook if they're under the influence of alcohol.

“Our emergency response service will be significantly reduced during the strike period, so the best way to stay protected is to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home.

“If you do discover a fire don't attempt to tackle it yourself — get out, stay out and still call 999.”

Top tips for staying safe during the strikes are:

- Don’t leave cooking unattended — and switch off cooking appliances after use.

- Never use a chip pan — and don’t attempt to cook after a night out.

- Test your smoke alarms — and don’t take the batteries out to power presents.

To sign-up for free smoke alarm test reminders visit pressthebutton.co.uk.

For more fire safety advice call 0114 253 2314 or visit www.syfire.gov.uk