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| The company's animated film, "Hot Date" features the heroic efforts of the fire safety |
Fire safety specialist, Sprue Safety Products, is urging romantics to take extra care this Valentine’s Day to make sure the temperature does not rise too high during their ‘Hot Date’!
Backing warnings from fire brigades across the country to prioritise fire safety, the company’s animated film, ‘Hot Date’ features the heroic efforts of the fire safety conscious dog ‘Flee’ trying to warn his owner as a fire starts from a candle left burning downstairs.
Flee’s owner had taken the batteries out of his smoke alarm to use in the TV remote control, leading to a disastrous end to his romantic evening. Figures show that 50 fires are started by candles every day and over 40% of all fires started by candles result in a death or injury.
Statistics also show that you are four times more likely to die in a fire in the home if you do not have a working smoke alarm. Although most homes now have smoke alarms, worryingly, nearly half are not working. Between 2010 and 2011, where smoke alarms were present in dwelling fires, 38% of all battery-powered alarms failed to operate due to missing or flat batteries, poor installation or lack of maintenance.
Candles create the romantic mood, but if they’re not placed in heatproof holders, or are put too near flammable materials such as curtains, or left unattended and not extinguished when you leave the room, the evening could get hotter than you planned!
Follow the advice below to make sure you enjoy a safe romantic night in:
- Never leave burning candles unattended. Put burning candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they’re out completely when you go to bed
- Place your candles carefully. Make sure they are on a stable surface, out of the reach of pets and children, and keep them away from flammable objects like curtains, furniture, bedding and books
- Don’t move candles once they are lit
- Do not burn several candles close together as this might cause the flame to flare
- Burn candles in a well-ventilated room, out of draughts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, soot, and dripping
- Always put scented candles in a heat resistant holder. These candles are designed to liquefy when heated to maximise fragrance
- Fit a smoke alarm and test it regularly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, stay out
- Make sure that everyone in your home knows what to do if a fire should occur -practice your escape route
Kitchen nightmares
Whether you’re cooking a romantic meal for two on Valentine’s Day, flipping pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, stir-frying for Chinese New Year or frying chips for National Chip Week, there are plenty of reasons for some culinary celebrations in February. But a wok that’s too hot or an unwatched oil pan could very quickly turn your cooking creation into a matter of life or death.
Just remember that over 50% of all fires in the home are caused by cooking accidents as a result of people being careless with appliances or being distracted for a moment while cooking. Nearly 20 people a day are killed or injured in kitchen fires.
Flee’s ‘Don’t Drink and Fry’ warns of the dangers of leaving cooking unattended and of cooking after a night out showing just how easily and quickly a chip pan fire can spread and cause serious injury or worse. A fire will double in size every 30 seconds.
However, there are important precautions you can take to keep you, your family and those things most precious to you safe, when busy in the kitchen:
- Always take extra care with hot oil - it sets alight very easily
- If oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and let it cool
- Use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat fryer. They can’t overheat
- If you must use a chip pan, don’t overfill it with oil - never more than one third full
- Make sure food is dry before putting it in hot oil, so it doesn’t splash
- Don’t get distracted in the kitchen, or leave cooking unattended
- Keep an eye on children at all times in the kitchen, and don’t leave them alone
- Make sure you keep matches and saucepan handles out of children’s reach to keep them safe
And importantly, make sure you have a working smoke alarm - it will give you the early warning you need to escape if a fire does break out. A working smoke alarm doubles a person’s chance of surviving a fire and can reduce fatalities by up to 90%.
