South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

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More house fires happen at Christmas then any other time of year, fire service warns

Firefighters are urging their public to take care over the festive period as new figures show that more house fires happen during the Christmas period than at any other time of year.

The average amount of domestic fires attended by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue during the Christmas period (24th December until 31 December) is higher than the average amount of incidents in the same period in every other month of the year.

In response, a new campaign has been launched with a video which lightly parodies the advert of a well-known cola brand and also features a specially recorded song by a group of singers from Vivacity Choir, a community choir based in Hillsborough, Sheffield.

Chris Tyler, Group Manager in the service’s community safety team said: “We want Christmas to be the most wonderful time of the year for everyone in South Yorkshire.

“That’s why we’re urging people to check their homes ahead of the holidays. At a time when we enjoy spending time with friends and family, you don’t want fire to be an uninvited guest.

“As part of your festive preparations, make sure you’ve got smoke alarms in your home and test them.

“Ensure you keep Christmas trees away from heat sources. If they’re real, keep them well watered and if they’re artificial check that that they are made with fire retardant materials.

“Be careful not to overload sockets with Christmas lights and always turn them off when they’re not in use.

“Many house fires start in the kitchen so make sure that you’re keeping an eye on your turkey at all times.

“Why not do an online home safety check for your own home or for a loved one today.”

More Christmas Safety advice from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue

This content was last updated on November 12th, 2024