In the run-up to Home Fire Safety Week, the West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service is calling on locals to lower the chances of residential fires.
By closing interior doors when you exit your home or retire for the night, the spread of fire and deadly fumes can be stalled by as much as 20 minutes – a fact recently evidenced at a blaze in East Grinstead.
On May 27, fire brigades from Crawley and East Grinstead, backed by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, were called to a fire at a property on Wilderwick Road.
On reaching the location, the teams faced a substantial fire in the bathroom. Fortunately, the occupier’s quick wits led to a swift extinguishment of the flames.
Once the fire was detected, the resident promptly shut the bathroom door and evacuated the premises safely. This effectively confined the fire to a single room and halted further spread.
Nicki Peddle, Head of Prevention at West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, said: “It can be difficult to navigate the hidden fire risks in your home and work out how best to prevent fires from taking place. Perhaps you have a mirror near a window, or maybe you’ve bought a phone charger from an online marketplace – the risks in your home can be vast.
“We have an online home fire safety check tool available to help people work through the risks in their properties and understand what changes can be made to stop a fire from happening in the first place. However, the best pieces of advice I can give is to make sure you have working smoke alarms in your property, and in the event of a fire – get out, stay out and call 999.
“In this incident, the occupiers actions saved priceless possessions, his home and gave him time to reach a place of safety to call 999.”
