You may have seen in the news, that a long period of very dry weather and the recent record high temperatures have increased the risk of wildfire. In the last week, wildfire has destroyed more than 60 homes across England. Fortunately, there are no reports of injury.
Our main priority is to keep you, our residents, safe. Here are some things we can all do to reduce the risk of a fire starting in our homes.
- Take care not to accidentally cause a fire.
- If you smoke, dispose of all of your smoking materials carefully. Discarded cigarettes are a common cause of accidental fire.
- We advise you not to have a barbeque until we have had significant rainfall and the ground is not as dry. Disposable barbeques in particular get very hot and can easily start a fire.
- Dispose of glass carefully. If you see it laying around, pick it up and put it in a recycle bin.
- If you have things that may burn close to the outside of your home – such as piles of rubbish, dried vegetation, building materials, or old furniture – dispose of them safely.
- Keep your grass cut and dispose of the clippings carefully.
- If you are working outside with tools that make heat, flames, or sparks, consider delaying the work until the risk is lower.
- If you must do the work, be careful, and take precautions so that if a fire starts you can easily put it out while it is still small. Having a bucket of water or a hose pipe nearby is useful.
- If you have matches or lighters at home, keep them secure and away from children.
If you see a fire, please call 999, and give the location as accurately as you can. If the fire starts to spread, decide how you will move to safety if you need to. Keep in mind that houses and possessions can be replaced, it is much more important to avoid injury to yourself or others.
Here is some useful information on what to do in the event of a fire.
If you have any questions or have any concerns about fire safety, please do not hesitate to contact our Fire Safety team on 0300 3300 900.
