General fire safety advice

Smoke alarms

It is extremely important that you have a working smoke alarm in your home.

Do not tamper with the smoke detectors in your home. They are there to give you an early warning in the event of a fire and could save your life.

Test your alarm once a week

You should test your smoke alarm every week (unless you live in a high rise flats or housing plus housing).

To test your smoke alarm:

press the 'Test' button for 5 seconds
a loud siren should come from the alarm
if the alarm doesn't make a sound (or if it's quiet), your batteries may need replacing

If your battery needs replacing, please replace it.

If you have any concerns about your alarm, .

If your alarm keeps going off

If your smoke alarm is chirping, beeping, or keeps going off, the battery probably needs replacing.

If your battery needs replacing, please replace it.

If you have any concerns about your alarm, .

Report a fault

If you think there is a problem with your smoke alarm, report this to us straight away.

Report a fault

High-rise, independent living and Housing Plus buildings

If you live in one of these buildings, your smoke alarm is hard-wired, as part of a fire alarm system.

You don't need to test it yourself - this would cause unwanted call outs to the fire service.

The smoke alarm in your flat is monitored by South Tyneside Homes and tested once a year.

If you have any concerns about your smoke alarm, please .

More information for people living in high rise flats, low rise homes, and housing plus housing.

Know what to do if there's a fire

Below are actions you can take if there is a fire:

Keep calm and act quickly, get everyone out as soon as possible.
Don't waste time investigating what's happened or rescuing valuables.
If there's smoke, keep low where the air is clearer.
Before you open a door, check if it's warm. If it is, don't open it - fire is on the other side.
Call 999 as soon as you're clear of the building. 999 calls are free on all phones.

Don't tackle fires yourself. Leave it to the professionals.

For specific guidance read:

Fire safety in high rise flats

Fire safety for housing plus flats

Fire safety for low rise homes

Be prepared - make an escape plan

Here are some tips on planning an escape route:

Make sure everyone in your property knows how to escape.
Make sure exits are kept clear.
The best route is the normal way in and out of your home.
Take a few minutes to practice your escape plan.
Review your plan if the layout of your home changes.
Keep door and window keys where everyone in your home can find them.
If you have an illness or injury that limits your ability to move or respond, make sure you re-evaluate your escape plan.

Preventing a fire

Make sure that you do what you can to prevent a fire from starting in your home.

Before you go to bed

Make a bedtime check, you are more at risk from a fire when asleep, so it's a good idea to check your home before you go to bed.

Close inside doors at night to stop a fire from spreading.
Turn off and unplug electrical appliances, unless they are designed to be left on like your freezer.
Check your cooker is turned off.
Don't leave the washing machine on.
Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
Make sure exits are kept clear.
Keep door and window keys where everyone in your home can find them.

In the kitchen

Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and sauce pan handles out of their reach to keep them safe.
Take extra care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk.
Make sure saucepan handles don't stick out so they don't get knocked off the stove.
Take care if you're wearing loose clothing, they can easily catch fire.
Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
Double check the cooker is off when you've finished cooking.
If you have an extractor fan, please turn this on when cooking.
Don't put anything metal in the microwave.
Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.

Electrics

Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water.
Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.
Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
Check appliances against product safety recalls.
Certain appliances, such as washing machines, should have a single plug to themselves, as they are high powered.
Try and keep to one plug per socket.
Keep your eyes peeled for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow, circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.
Check and replace any old cables and leads, especially if they are hidden from view.
Unplugging appliances helps reduce the risk of fire.
Unplug appliances when you're not using them or when you go to bed.
An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so be careful not to overload them.

Electric blankets

If using an electric blanket, don't leave it folded as this damages the internal wiring. Store them flat or rolled up instead.
Unplug your blanket before you get into bed, unless it has a thermostat control for safe all night use.
Try not to buy second hand blankets.
Check regularly for wear and tear.

Portable heaters

Try to secure heaters up against a wall to stop them falling over.
Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.
Do not use portable gas heaters.

Furniture

Always make sure that your furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label.

Keep corridors, stairs and landings clear

Do not keep furniture, motorbikes or bicycles, toys or any other large item in these areas. They could cause an obstruction or trip somebody up if there was a fire.
Be careful not to pile flammable materials such as piles of magazines / papers too. They could help spread a fire.

Smoking

Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully. Put them right out.
Never smoke in bed.
Use a proper ashtray, never a waste paper basket.
Make sure your ashtray can't tip over and is made of a material that won't burn.
Don't leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily fall over and start a fire.
Take extra care if you smoke when you're tired, taking prescription drugs, or if you've been drinking. You might fall asleep and set your bed or sofa on fire.
Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
Consider buying child resistant lighters and match boxes.

Candles

Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they're put out completely at night.
Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out candles. It's safer than blowing them out when sparks can fly.
Children shouldn't be left alone with lit candles.
Make sure any tea lights are kept in a suitable holder.
Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire such as curtains.

E-scooters and lithium batteries

E-scooters can pose an increased fire risk due to the size of the lithium-ion batteries that they use.
To limit the risk, it is recommended you purchase an e-scooter from a reputable supplier and not from online marketplaces. Always follow manufacturer's instructions, use the official charger provided only, and visually check the e-scooter prior to using.
It is recommended that all e-scooters are only charged externally, away from fire escape routes and when there's someone in the house.
Lithium-ion batteries are also found in items such as mobile phones, drones, and any rechargeable item. It is recommended that these are used as per the manufacturer guidance and never left on charge overnight or when the property is not occupied.
For more guidance, see Electrical Safety First: Batteries.

More advice

For more advice, visit:

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service: Safety advice

Government: Fire Kills campaign

GOV.UK: Fire safety guidance