Fire crews have attended numerous chimney fires over the past week across the East of Scotland. With winter approaching, here’s a safety message from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service:
With over 1000 chimney fires in Scotland each year, Group Manager Alex Smart for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warns:
“With the colder, winter months looming, people will begin to start using open fires and their chimneys again. In order to keep you and your family safe from fire, you need to take necessary steps such as ensuring your chimney is swept regularly, and we would urge all householders to have a working smoke alarm in their home.
“Fires can start accidentally in your chimney. Soot and fuel residues slowly build up in chimneys over time and sometimes these leftovers can catch fire. If this happens, the chimney could send burning soot into your living room or start fires within the roof space or on other floors of the house. You can help prevent this by having your chimney swept regularly.”
He added: “We would like to remind householders to ensure their chimneys are safe following these simple tips:”
- Keep chimneys and flues clean and well maintained
- Make sure embers are properly put out before you go to bed
- Always use a fire guard to protect against flying sparks from hot embers
- Ensure that you have a working smoke alarm fitted. This will give you give you the vital early warning to a fire.
Join Scotland’s Fight Against Fire and request a home fire safety visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, text “check” to 61611, or visit the website at www.firescotland.gov.uk.