Electrical fire risks increase at Christmas
As Christmas approaches families need to be aware of the fire risks in their home. Electrical fairy lights and candles may be used in many homes during the festive season. However, as lovely as they look as decorations, if not used correctly they could increase the risk of a blaze inside your property. Decorations, cards, wrapping paper and gifts should be kept away from candles and always ensure candles are not left unattended in a room and they are blown out before you leave. Electrical lights can be a concern for fire fighters. At Christmas time people can often overload sockets with electrical equipment and use fairy lights that have been in storage for 12 months previously.It is also essential that fairy lights are switched off before you go to bed or leave your home unattended. It would be ideal if homeowners thought to purchase a fire extinguisher for their property. For use on electrial fires, a carbon dioxide extinguisher or a CO2 fire extinguisher, as they are known is best. They are recommended for use on live electrical equipment, CO2 fire extinguisherscontain pure carbon dioxide which is a clean agent leaving no residue after discharge and containing no water. They are commonly purchased by businesses as they are the extinguisher used in Class B flammable liquid fires, including petroleum, and fires involving sensitive electrical equipment such as computers. Christmas time is an ideal opportunity to check all the fire hazards in your home and to ensure your safety equipment such as smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working.