Smoking and candle fires are relatively infrequent, but they remain the leading cause of fatal house fires.

Should you smoke, or use candles, you need to be extremely careful and follow our top tips:

• If you smoke, don’t light up if you need to lie down – you could easily fall asleep, setting the bed or couch on fire or even your clothes
• If your clothes are on fire then stop, drop and roll
• Use proper ashtrays and pour water over hot ash before disposal in a suitable bin – metal ones are best
• Keep matches and lighters away from children
• Keep candles away from anything flammable, things like curtains
• Keep tea-lights in a proper holder and never put them on plastic surfaces, like TV tops and baths