Have a silent night's sleep

Have a silent night's sleep; follow the 'Gift of Life' Christmas Safety Campaign.

Ensure your nights are peaceful this Christmas by adopting a safe bedtime routine.

In the next stage of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service's Christmas Safety Campaign, the Service is reminding people of some vital steps to reduce the risk of fire this festive season.

Head of Prevention and Protection Keith Brooks said: "Many of the things we enjoy during this festive period, such as the fairy lights, candles and cooking can all be fire hazards if proper care is not taken, so it is a good time to remind people of the importance of having a regular routine to ensure their presents don't go up in smoke.

"As Santa shows in our safety video, everyone should do a quick walk around the house before bed, taking care to ensure they blow out any lit candles, switch off and unplug sockets, make sure appliances that are not designed to stay on are turned off, and close all doors to help prevent fire from spreading. These quick steps only take minutes but could save your life."

Before you go to bed make sure all obstacles are removed from your escape route as a blocked route can slow down your exit and have an escape route planned that you, your family and any guests are familiar with.

Twelve tips to keep you safe this Christmas

We are urging people to stay safe this Christmas by following 12 tips for festive fire safety:

• Are your sockets overloaded? Use the handy calculator on our website to check and make your home safer: Socket overload calculator
• Never place candles near your Christmas tree or furnishings. Don't leave them burning unattended.
• Decorations can burn easily- Don't attach them to lights or heaters.
• Switch off electrical appliances when not in use, unless they're designed to stay on. Take special care with Christmas lights. Always switch off and unplug Christmas lights before you go to bed.
• Check your Christmas tree lights conform to the British Standard. Always use an RCD on outdoor electrical equipment (safety device that can save lives by instantly switching off the power)
• Most fires start in the kitchen- never leave cooking unattended.
• If you are planning to celebrate with fireworks, store them in a metal box, read the instructions, never go back to a lit firework and keep a bucket of water nearby.
• Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished.
• Test your smoke alarm every week and use Christmas as a reminder to clean it and remove dust.
• Keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach of children.
• Make sure your family and any visitors staying for the festive period know what to do in an emergency. Practice a fire escape plan.
• Take the time to check on elderly relatives and neighbours this Christmas- make sure they are fire safe.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.