Fire services warns Surrey residents against dangerous heating appliances
A recent poll by Surrey Fire and Rescue found that many people are looking for alternative ways of heating their homes.
Surrey Fire and Rescue are warning locals who are planning on using alternative methods of heating their homes this winter to make sure they have the right safety measures in place.
In a recent Instagram and Twitter poll, the local fire service found that a large number of people are looking for different ways of keeping warm this winter as energy costs rise.
People have suggested using wood burning stoves, fire places and electric blankets in order to keep themselves warm over the winter months.
Phil Stonebanks from Surrey Fire and Rescue says people must make sure their fire places and chimneys are safe to use.
“The risk of using these are that potentially there could be fires if the chimneys aren’t swept correctly or regularly,” he explains.
“We generally advise people to sweep their chimneys one to two times a year.”
In a social media poll run by the fire service, they found that the majority of people have not had their chimneys swept for a significant amount of time.
“During springtime when the birds are mating, they nest in the chimneys,” he says.
“There’s that risk that in the wintertime small embers from the fire would travel up the chimney and get into those nests, which could cause a chimney fire.”
People are also being warned to make sure they have a fire alarm and carbon monoxide alarm properly installed in their home, especially if they plan to use wood burning stoves over the winter.
“You can get carbon monoxide poisoning from open fires and fault boilers” Stonebanks says.
The fire service advise having these in place on every floor of the house, and Stonebanks reminds people that “you can get them from Surrey Fire and Rescue free of charge.”