Wiltshire's fire service urges safety during Diwali celebrations
Diwali is known as the festival of lights
Wiltshire's Fire and Rescue Service has issued guidance to keep people celebrating Diwali safe this weekend.
Diwali, which is known as ‘festival of the lights’, leads to an increased use of divas or oil lamps and is being celebrated from 31st October to 1st November.
Light is believed to represent goodness, with lamps being burnt throughout the day and into the evening to keep darkness and evil at bay.
Fireworks are also generally part of the celebrations.
But Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service say we can keep ourselves and others safe with a few simple precautions.
We're advised to keep candles and divas in safe and secure holders, while all tea lights should be on a heat resistant surface.
These must all be kept away from soft furnishings, like curtains, and away from young children.
We're also told to take care with home-made decorated candles and divas to avoid the flame coming into contact with anything that could be set on fire. Long hair and clothing (especially saris, chunris, chunis and dupattas) are also very flammable.
The Service also advises:
• Candles should not be left unattended at any time – care should be taken when retiring to bed or while attending prayers.
• Never ‘daisy-chain’ extension leads or adapters – daisy-chaining involves plugging one extension into another in order to reach further or plug more appliances in, which creates a huge fire risk.
• Ensure that all fireworks meet British safety standards – store them in a metal box, read the instructions, never go back to a lit firework and keep a bucket of water nearby.
• When cooking during the festival, don’t leave the stove unattended.
The Fire service say if a fire does start, we must get everyone out and remain out of the building, and to call 999. We are strongly advised not to go back into the property for any reason.
They add that now is the perfect time to get a smoke alarm if we don't have one and to test any that we have, as they can be life saving with giving an early warning of a fire.
Prevention Delivery Manager Vikki Thomas said: “We want everyone to have an enjoyable Diwali and stay safe at the same time. Sadly, we have had fires in the past caused by Diwali candles and daisy-chained extension cables that have caused real devastation. By following our advice, you can keep your family and home as safe as possible from the risks posed by fire.”
More advice on staying safe this Diwali can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/diwali