Winter is the season when fires are more likely to occur. 

This is because of dry air and an increase in the use of heaters. 

In order to prevent fires from starting, please take the following precautions.

Never put flammable items near heating appliances such as stoves.

For other electrical appliances too, do not put heavy items on top of cords, or force cords to bend too far. 

In addition to this, please make sure you follow these guidelines: 

•    Don’t leave flammable materials by your house

•    Don’t smoke in bed or toss away cigarette butts

•    Don’t leave the hob unattended if you are using an open flame when cooking, 

•    Check your household fire alarms and replace any that were installed more than 10 years ago. 

If a fire starts, stay calm and do the following three things

1. Alert others quickly

Shout loudly to alert your neighbors to the fire.

2. Extinguish the fire quickly

Determine whether or not you can put out the fire, and if you can, extinguish it quickly.

3. Escape quickly

If you determine that you can’t put out the fire, or you fail to put it out in the early stages, escape immediately and call 119.

If you are escaping through smoke, cover your mouth with something such as a towel, and get into as low a position as possible.

It is important that each and every one of us learns the correct way to handle fire, so that we can eliminate the oversights that cause fires in the home.