Firefighters issue safety warning
Firefighters are warning about the dangers of garden fires after attending a number of incidents where they have got out of control.
In the last year Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service have attended 87 garden fires, most of which relate to people leaving small fires or barbecues unattended.
Area Risk Manager, Simon Ellershaw said:
“We seem to be attending these types of incidents more and more, especially over the summer months. The most recent incident was a garden fire in St Nicholas Avenue, Kenilworth. On arrival the garden fence and surrounding area were well alight and crews acted quickly to put the fire out. On this occasion, the fire did not spread to the house, but I have attended many incidents where the residents have not been so lucky.”
When left unattended garden fires can be disastrous. So if you are planning on a summer barbecue or burning off some rubbish, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep you and your family safe;
Do not leave any fire unattended or let children play near them
Do not light fires near to your house, sheds, fences or shrubbery
Take care when having barbecues, do not use lighter fluid to accelerate the fire
If you do have a garden fire, ensure that the surrounding area is clear from flammable materials
For further information on how to have a safe summer or to find out how to book a free home fire safety check, please call the Fire Safety Helpline on 01926 466282 or log onto http://www.warwickshire.gov.ul/fireandrescue
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For further information please contact Simon Ellershaw on 01926 423231 or Lisa Mowe, Communications, Warwickshire County Council on 01926 412513.