If life in lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that our home is our safe haven. A place where we can shut out the outside world. And as such we should all take extra precautions to ensure that nothing happens to our home, or our belongings. And whilst a burglary can feel like an invasion of our personal space, a house fire can have truly devastating consequences.

The most common causes of house fires

Whilst smoking is now at a record low in the UK, cigarettes are still the main cause of house fires. With many fires starting in bedrooms where cigarettes are left unattended close to bedding.

Similarly, appliances like hair straighteners and curlers, if left unattended can cause the surface they’re lying on to heat up and catch fire. Whilst many newer hair appliances have an automatic cut-off if they are left for a certain amount of time, consumers who have bought items off sites such as Ebay and Amazon have unwittingly purchased counterfeit goods, that inevitably don’t pass European safety standards.

Meanwhile, it’s unattended cooking equipment and dirty grill pans that are the most likely to cause a blaze downstairs. With overheating microwaves, and overloaded electric sockets now a common cause of house fires.

How to reduce the risk

If you are a smoker, or live with someone who is, if they insist on smoking indoors ensure the cigarette is fully extinguished.

As our lives rely more and more on electrical goods, it’s important to register them as soon as you purchase one. Thousands of people are unaware of product safety warnings because they haven’t registered them. This will also show if you have a counterfeit good too. And of course, when the appliances aren’t in use, switch them off at the plug.

When cooking it’s important to be present when there is a naked flame. This is especially the case when using the grill. It is common for fat and grease to heat up and sizzle, causing it to catch under the flame.

Of course, every household should ensure they have a working smoke alarm. Ideally you should have one on every level of your home, and they should be tested regularly. For added safety and peace of mind companies like Rocburn Limited can fit a smoke ventilation system to your home too.

Whilst we don’t want to imagine the worse happening, it’s important to have an escape plan ready, with a backup route in case your planned route is blocked.

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