Fire Safety in the Home
Level up your knowledge by exploring our recent survey into home fire safety.
It may not be until your food is sizzling and popping in the oven, with wafts of steam escaping, that your mind flickers to fire safety.
As the steam fades, it may be time to review what you know about home fire safety and worth checking out your home insurance policy. Confidently knowing how to prevent home fires (or acting swiftly in case of one) could make a life-saving difference.
In this article, exploring our recent survey of 2,000 nationally representative UK adults, you'll find:
Our survey results around home fire safety
There may be different occasions, events or seasons that bring fire safety more to the forefront of our mind. It may also be that some generations have varying concerns over what may cause a fire.
One in five of those surveyed previously experienced a fire in their home, 15% of which occurred in the last 12 months. Footnote [1]
And this may be generational. Nearly half of those aged 18-24 experienced a home fire, compared to 32% of those aged 25-34, 23% of those aged 35-44 and only 8% of those aged 55+Footnote [1]
Of those who experienced a house fire, the top three causes are:Footnote [1]
- candles
- the oven, grill, or hob
- the toaster.
However, comparing results across generations, the results show that for those aged 35-44, the most common cause is an air fryer. While a candle has been the most popular cause for respondents aged 18-24 and 25-34, this only accounts for 4% of house fires for those aged 55 and over.
And while half of UK adults admit to worrying more about fire safety during different times or occasions in the year, this increases to nearly three quarters for those aged 18-24.
Overall, our survey participants worry more during:Footnote [1]
- Christmas time - whether you choose a plastic or real Christmas tree, make sure it's placed away from heat, flames or an exit. If you've chosen a real tree, make sure it is watered well. For either type of tree, make sure your Christmas lights are in good working order and that they're switched off when unattended Footnote [2]
- Bonfire Night - to help make sure your Bonfire Night is fire safe, make sure to build it well clear of any buildings, sheds, hedges or fences. Footnote [3]
- colder weather - with the increase of heaters or open fire, you can help reduce fire risks by keeping at least one metre away from heaters and making sure all open fires are supervised.
- BBQ season - enjoy some delicious grilled goods and keep safe by always supervising your BBQ grill. Also, make sure the BBQ is on even ground and with plenty of space around it. Footnote [4]
- hot weather - enjoy hot weather by staying hydrated and in cool areas. Also, make sure any open flames are kept far away from wood or any objects that can easily catch fire.
Overall, those aged 55+ say they worry equally about fire safety throughout the year (36%), regardless of occasions or time of year (higher than any other age group).
Yet, for those who are worried about home fires, that doesn’t mean they lack confidence in their knowledge of fire safety.
Are you confident in your knowledge of fire safety?
70% of UK adults, based on our survey, are confident in their knowledge of fire safety and knowing what to do in the event of a fire. More than half rate themselves “fairly” confident and 8% admit that, overall, they aren’t confident in knowing what to do in a fire. Footnote [1]
Nearly three quarters of 25–34-year-olds and those aged 55+ rate themselves as confident in their knowledge, overall.
Check your fire safety knowledge and confidence
Tickle your brain with 8 true or false statements on fire safety. Check whether your age group knew it best: Footnote [1]
Don’t throw water over a pan fire as this could create a fireball (True).
Keep all doors open when going to bed at night to hear any emergency warnings (False).
You only need an escape route planned if you live in a block of flats (False).
Sit at least one metre away from a portable heater (True).
It is fine for a kettle and a toaster to be plugged into the same extension lead (False).
Smoke detectors should be checked once a month (True).
Once a cigarette has been put into an ashtray it is safe to leave alone (False).
Hoarding has no effect on fire safety (False).
How often should I test my smoke detector?
Test your smoke alarm once every month, as a minimum, advises the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority (the Authority). Footnote [7] “An average of 90 people die each year,” says the Authority “due to the battery in their alarm being flat or missing.” Footnote [7]
With 71% of those surveyed having a working smoke detector, it's important to maintain them regularly so they're effective when you need them. Of the latter, 12% have a working smoke detector but not on every level of their home.Footnote [1]
The Authority advise testing smoke detectors weekly (ideally) by pressing the test button until the alarm sounds. Yet only 22% of our survey participants test their alarms once a week or more and less (8%) never check them. Also, pop a notification into your calendar to change the battery once per year and vacuum (or dust) the alarm once every three months.Footnote [7]
How can I be safe while cooking in the home?
Over a quarter of those surveyed admit they never clean their kitchen extractor fan. And while over a third admit to regularly cleaning their oven or grill of fat/grease, with nearly as many regularly clearing their toaster of crumbs, 34% admit they sometimes leave the kitchen while food is cooking.Footnote [1]
Although some of our kitchen behaviours may not be ideal (we see you licking the jam off your butter knife), there are simple steps to take for safer cooking. Especially with around 60% of fires in the home starting in the kitchen, according to the LFB. Footnote [8]
Here are 8 steps to help minimise fire risks in the kitchen: Footnote [8]
1. Don’t walk away – never leave your cooking unattended on the hob or grill. Turn off the heat if you need to step away, even if it’s a quick dash to answer the door.
2. Lose the loose clothing – loose clothing can easily poof into flames, so keep them away from the hot hob (no leaning over with fluttering fabric) and keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker.
3 Cook when with it – if you’re tired, drowsy or had a few drinks, it’s safer to save the cooking for another day. A crisp salad, a rummage for leftovers or a takeaway may be good alternatives.
4. Keep it tidy – and we don’t just mean the countertops and surfaces. Regularly clean your appliances and anything that traps fat or grease, which could ignite and cause a fire, like your:
- oven
- hob
- grill
- cooker hood
- extractor fan
5. Turn off appliances – check you’ve turned off the cooker or hob when you’re done.
6. Take care of your toaster – keep your toaster clean and make sure it’s not placed underneath kitchen cabinets or near items that can catch fire.
7. Keep metals out of microwaves – don’t put any metal objects into the microwave because they can make sparks or cause fires.
8. Watch the kids and pets – and not just because Rufus is quicker than lighting getting into all sorts of mischief. Keep matches and lighters out of reach for little hands and saucepan handles turned away from the edge of the stove.
How else can I help keep my home safe from fire?
There are a few other steps you can take to help minimise the risk of fire in your home.
Smoking
The safest option is not smoking because, “it’s harmful to your health and is the most common cause of fatal fires,” says the LFB. But if you’re not ready to quit, or working towards your quitting goal, then these actions could help keep you safe in the meantime:
- Smoke outside and put out your cigarettes completely (no embers or smoke)
- Don’t smoke in bed or anywhere you could fall asleep
- Don’t leave a lit cigarette or pipe on its own
- Don’t create ashtrays out of other items, make sure you’re using a proper one. And never throw hot ash into the bin.
- Make sure lighters and matches are kept far away from children’s reach.
Electrics
A few simple things to remember with electrics:
- Don’t overload electrical sockets.
- Know the limits of any fused in-line adaptors.
- Don’t leave things charging continuously.
- Check your electrical appliances are working as they should and regularly maintained.
- Turn off any non-essential items when they aren’t used.
Lithium batteries
Whether in kids’ toys, the TV remote, or your laptop these batteries are found in thousands of items. So, it’s important to safely charge those that are rechargeable and reduce the risk of them overheating.
- Always use the charger that came with the device.
- Don’t leave a device charging overnight.
- When the device is fully charged, unplug it.
- Let the batteries cool down before trying to re-charge.
- Don’t cover the device when it’s charging, it could overheat.
Going to bed
When going to bed, close all the doors to help stop fire and toxic smoke spreading in the event of a fire. Make sure to unplug electrical items, like the TV, and avoid charging devices like your mobile phone when you’re asleep. Finally, blow out any candles before bedtime and check your cooker and heaters are also turned off.
For more information on fire safety at home, check out the LFB’s .
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