Why shutting doors could literally save your life!
Firefighters in south Warwickshire are urging residents to shut all doors before they leave the house and go to bed at night.
The warning comes after firefighters attended a number of incidents where the fire has spread because doors were not shut.
The most recent incident was a house fire in Stratford, where the fire started in the utility room and spread through to the kitchen because the doors were not closed. Luckily on this occasion the house had working smoke alarms and the alarm was raised quickly.
Area Risk Manager, Kevin Gardner said:
“I am sure that if the alarm hadn’t been raised as quickly as it was, then more of the property would have been destroyed. We attend a number of house fires each year and we see the devastation that they can cause. I know that it sounds like a simple thing to do, but by shutting the doors in your home, before you go out can stop the fire spreading as quickly and therefore reduce the impact of the devastation that fires in the home already cause.
“If this fire had been at night and the residents were asleep, the smoke would have travelled around the house very quickly. It is the smoke inhalation that generally kills, not the fire. By shutting the doors at night, as well as in the day, you starve the fire of oxygen which could stop the fire spreading, therefore give you and your family more time to escape.”
Other key messages include:
* Switch off all appliances, such as TV’s and washing machines etc, before you leave the house - this will reduce the chances of you having a fire in your home.
* Have a working smoke alarm – this will give early warning to either you or neighbours if you are not at home
For further information on fire safety in your home, then log onto http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue For more information on our free home fire safety check service, call our helpline on 01926 466282