Government relaunches Fire Kills campaign

Launched on 3rd February by the Government, the revamped campaign will highlight that candles, cigarettes, portable heaters and overloaded extension leads can lead to fires in any room of a home.

While the majority (90%) of homes now have at least one working smoke alarm, 23% of people say they never test them.

Minister for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service Kit Malthouse said: "It’s easy to make mistakes. Being alert to hazards after a long day at work, or with distractions at home is never easy.

"This is why this campaign is so important – it reminds us of how we can prevent the unthinkable.

"At the very least, if you do nothing else, please buy smoke alarms for your home so you and yours can sleep easy."

The campaign, developed with the help of the National Fire Chiefs Council, also urges the public to test their smoke alarms at least once a month. The campaign is also partnering with other organisations, including Dementia UK and retailer B&Q, to help spread the message.

Home Office analysis has found you are around eight times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm in your home. Existing research also indicates that some people are more at risk of fire than others, such as older people and people with disabilities.

The latest Home Office analysis of fires has also found that most accidental fires start with cooking appliances (48%), for example, by something flammable being left too close to the cooker, such as a tea towel.

To support Fire Kills, B&Q will be providing dedicated spaces in its stores for selling smoke alarms, which will highlight the campaign. B&Q will also be linking customers to Home Office advice on its website and encouraging staff to share this guidance with customers.