Fire Warning

A WARNING has been issued by Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service about the danger of leaving electrical goods working while the home owners go out or go to bed.

This follows two recent call outs to fires in the home caused in one case by a tumble dryer in a Belper home and in the other in Swadlincote when a dishwasher caught fire.

Firefighter Rob Townsend, who is based at Belper, said:  “We were called out to a house fire in Belper after a tumble dryer over-heated and burst into flames.  The dryer was on a timer, which switched the appliance on at 5am to take advantage of cheap rate, Economy 7 electricity.  Luckily smoke detectors woke the family at 5:48am, giving them early warning and allowing them time to get out of the house safely before dialling 999.”

The four year old tumble dryer was completely destroyed by the fire and the family has been praised for closing internal doors which prevented the fire from spreading and limiting further damage to their property. 

“The family of four had a lucky escape, if they had not had working smoke detectors, this could have been a completely different story.

“A home fitted with working smoke detectors and people who react to them, gives us a much better chance of saving lives.  When a fire breaks out during the night, smoke detectors provide a vital early warning, in fact they are often your only early warning,” said Rob.

Safety tips:

• Don’t leave the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher running overnight or while you are out. They are a fire risk because of their high wattage, friction and motors.
• Fit smoke alarms on each level of your home. Keep them free from dust and test them once a week. Consider buying a 10-year-alarm – otherwise change your batteries every year.
• Make a fire action plan so everyone in your home knows how to escape if there is a fire
• Get into the habit of closing doors at night. If you want to keep the door to a child’s bedroom open, close the doors to the lounge and kitchen
• Keep the exits from your home clear and make sure everyone knows how to find the keys for doors and windows
• Take extra care in the kitchen – accidents while cooking account for more than half of home fires. Never leave young children alone in the kitchen
• Take care when cooking with hot oil. Consider buying a deep fat fryer as they are controlled by a thermostat
• Never leave lit candles in rooms that nobody is in or in rooms where children are on their own. Make sure candles are in secure holders on a surface that doesn’t burn and well away from curtains or anything else that burns
• Make sure that cigarettes are stubbed our properly and are disposed of carefully, never smoke in bed
• Don’t overload electrical sockets; one plug, one socket.
• Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children
• Take special care when you are tired or have been drinking alcohol
• Don’t leave the TV or other electrical appliances on standby – always switch off and unplug when not in use.

To arrange a free home fire safety check, please contact your local fire station or Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service’s HQ on 01332 771 221.  For further information, please contact  Rob Townsend at Belper on 01773 822398.

If you would like a copy of this press release please use the link below to view and download a copy.

Link: Press Release - Fire Warning

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