Date: 2nd March, 2021
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding local people about the importance of working smoke alarms.
A home in Swindon was badly damaged after a fire which started in an electric vacuum cleaner charger plugged in on the first floor. Thankfully, the fire started during the day and the house’s occupants were able to escape uninjured.
Group Manager Greg Izon said: “This fire could have easily started at night, when everyone was asleep. Because there were no working smoke alarms, the occupants could then have been at risk of fatal smoke inhalation or being trapped by flames. We want everyone to realise that working smoke alarms can give you the few extra seconds you might need to escape in a fire.”
To keep your alarms in working order:
- Make sure there is at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home.
- Test your smoke alarms by pushing the button every month.
- Check that your smoke alarms are less than 10 years old.
- Change the batteries every year. Never remove them.
- Fit smoke alarms in the right place – on landings and hallways and near bedrooms. Also consider fitting them in rooms which have electrical appliances, such as a heater or charger, or other fire risks.
- Take a moment to check on friends, family or neighbours who may need help to ensure that they’re fully protected.
GM Izon said: “Smoke alarms can offer vital protection for you and your loved ones, but most people simply fit and forget – they don’t know if their alarms might be coming to the end of their lifespans or even if they are working at all. Fitting them, testing them and replacing them when needed could well save your life.”
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe & Well visits – for more information, please visit www.dwfire.org.uk/safe-and-well-visits
2 March 2021