Fire Safety
Click here for simple routines that will help keep your family, your home and yourself safe from fire.
Open Fires & Stoves
Open fires and stoves make for attractive and practical additions to any living room. As with any heat source, care must be taken to make sure they don't start fires. Follow these simple steps to reduce the risks.
Open Fires
Real or 'living' fires cast a cosy glow but are responsible for many house fires
- never leave a lit fire unattended without a fireguard
- secure fire guards in place if you have children or pets
- put the guard up if you feel sleepy
- have your chimney swept at least once a year, twice if you use it lots
- never use flammable liquids - like barbecue lighter fuel - to light a fire
- never throw flammable liquids onto the fire
- never throw aerosols or other pressurised containers on the fire
- keep all furniture at least three feet away
- check your hearth regularly - if it's cracked, have it fixed professionally
- beware of using building or packing timber as firewood - it's very sparky
- try to let fires burn down before going to bed - don't forget to put the guard up too
- don't dry clothes over or in front of the fire - they could catch light
- don't place mirrors over the fire - they encourage people to stand too close and risk setting their clothes on fire
Stoves
Properly maintained stoves are much safer than open fires, use less fuel and heat rooms more efficiently.
- replace any cracked door glass or casings immediately
- always use certified fire glass in stove doors
- make sure you use the right type of fuel (using coal in wood stoves can damage them)
- have your chimney swept at least once a year
- never use flammable liquids - like barbecue lighter fuel - to light a fire
- never throw flammable liquids into the stove
- never put aerosols or other pressurised containers into the stove
- be careful not to leave flammable items - clothes, papers etc. - on top of the stove
Chimney Fires
In 2005, there were 1,456 chimney fires in Scotland!
Soot and un-burnt particles of fuel build up in chimneys over time. Eventually, they catch fire.
If this happens, the chimney could send an avalanche of burning soot into your living room or start fires on other floors of the house. Unless you've had one, you won't believe the mess a chimney fire causes even it doesn't burn the house down.
Signs of a chimney fire:
- burning particles falling out of the chimney
- a roaring sound in the chimney
- chimney breast too hot to touch
- hot walls in upstairs rooms
- sparks or flames coming out at the top
What to do:
- put the guard up
- get everyone out safe
- call 999
- if it's safe to do so, douse the fire with water
- try to cut off the air supply at the bottom - close all vents, block the fireplace with metal plate if you have one
Fires and Stoves that Heat Water
In cold weather, the pipes that feed water in and out of stoves and 'back boilers' in open fires can freeze. This is especially true if you've been away for a few days and your fire or stove hasn't been used. If you light the stove or fire while the pipes are frozen, pressure will build up inside the boiler part and could cause an explosion.
If this happens, the room will be showered with burning fuel and flying shards of metal!
- if it's been cold, run the hot tap before lighting up
- if no water runs out, DO NOT light your stove or fire
- call a heating engineer and have your pipes defrosted
Further Information
For further information and advice on home fire safety, contact your local community fire and rescue service.
You can also download the following information leaflet:
