Fire Safety Advice

Fire Safety Precautions

You may have seen the recent news of the fatal flat fire in Kings Hedges, Cambridge.  Following an investigation it is believed that the fire started accidentally, and the most probable cause was an electric bike that was charging.

We therefore felt it was important to share with you the advice currently being given by the Fire Service.

E-bike and e-scooter safety advice:

• Avoid charging the battery overnight
• Do not leave charging for any longer than it needs to fully charge
• Plug the cable into a main socket rather than an extension lead 
• Do not cover the battery with anything while charging 
• Make sure you use the battery recommended by the manufacturer
• Always use the manufacturer approved charger for the product and, if you spot any signs of wear and tear or damage, buy an official replacement charger for your product from a reputable seller
• Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home and in the room where you charge the bike / scooter.

General fire safety advice:

• Close internal doors at night - have this as part of your bedtime routine 
• Keep stairs clear and keys to external doors and windows in places that are easy to access if you need to escape in an emergency
• Ensure everyone in your house knows what to do if a fire breaks out, and practice this
• Ensure smoking materials are fully out and don’t smoke when tired 
• Ensure open fires are properly out before you go to bed. 

We urge everyone to check their home for potential fire risks. There is an online tool on the Fire Service website that can be used to highlight areas to think about. 

It isn’t just e-bikes and e-scooters, we have so many electrical gadgets these days that all require charging, people need to be aware of the risks and put steps in place to ensure they are being charged safely.

Home fire safety advice, including electrical safety, can be found on the Fire Service Website.

All our council homes are provided with a smoke detector, take a moment to test your smoke detectors today to ensure they are functioning.  If there are any issues please contact the repairs number on 0800 085 1313 to arrange urgent replacements.

If you live in a flat / apartment, please ensure that the communal areas are kept clear of belongings or rubbish, as we need to ensure that the common parts are free of combustible material, ignition sources, and obstructions.  For all our communal areas and communal rooms we carry out fire risk assessments and programme in mitigation works as required.