Wake up and smell the smoke!

During 2010, accidental fires in Pendle homes injured 15 people and tragically killed one person. 

In the last 12 months, there have been 69 household fires in Pendle, mostly attributable to cooking, smoking and electrical issues. Just less than a third of the fires have been due to faulty white goods.

Eight of these incidents recently occurred over the Christmas and New Year period.

In response, Pendle Community Safety Partnership, which brings together organisations such as the police and fire service, is offering residents the opportunity to take part in a free fire safety training course.

Jerry Cragg, Community Protection Manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue, said: "House fires are currently the biggest problem we face as a fire service in Pendle - and numbers keep rising.

"Not only does fire have a significant individual impact on those directly involved, but also affects the wider community and comes at significant financial cost.  Latest Fire and Rescue Service figures put the average cost of an accidental house fire at around £8,500, with the cost of injury, for example smoke inhalation, costing £44,000."

Councillor David Whipp, Chairman of Pendle Community Safety Partnership, added: "This is obviously an extremely worrying problem facing people in Pendle and we need to reduce such incidents.

"People can act to improve the safety of their own homes by listening to the advice that is at hand. No one wants to see their home go up in flames, or at worst, see themselves or their families seriously injured or killed."

Residents in the Pendle area are being strongly advised to take heed of the fire safety advice that Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service offers.

Fire fighters are keen to highlight the safety issues behind fires at a one-day training course at Nelson Town Hall on Friday, 4th February.

Held between 10am and 3pm, the Pendle Community Safety Team, in partnership with Pendle Council's Neighbourhood Management and the fire service, will teach residents how to reduce the risk of fire in their homes.

Anne Curran, Pendle Community Safety Partnership's Assistant Manager, said: "This is the second fire safety course that we have recently offered Pendle residents due to the serious nature of the problem.

"We are urging residents to take advantage of this course, which could potentially help save their and their family's lives."

If you live in Pendle and are interested in taking part in the course, call Lisa Higson on (01282) 661565, or email neighbourhood.management@pendle.gov.uk

Almost half of the recent house fires in Pendle have been a result of distractions, ranging from leaving cooking unattended, cooking whilst under the influence of alcohol, answering the telephone/door, falling asleep and the careless disposal of smoking materials.

The majority of house fires Pendle fire fighters are called out to happen in the Vivary Bridge and Waterside areas of Colne, and the Whitefield and Clover Hill areas of Nelson.

Jerry Cragg added: "All fires are thoroughly investigated to allow us to learn and improve the safety advice we pass on to the community. 

"Figures for 2010 showed two key time periods during which a high proportion of fires occurred. These were between the hours of 2pm and 8pm, with the second busiest period being between midnight and 6am.

"We urge residents to ensure that they have working smoke alarms fitted in their home and that they minimise the chance of having a fire by not becoming distracted whilst cooking and smoking. This is especially important if you feel drowsy or are under the influence of alcohol.

"As a Community Fire Service our main objective is to make the community a safer place from the incidence of fire, but to do this we need your help."

Fire fighters are encouraging householders to take up their offer of a free Home Fire Safety Check, whereby they provide safety advice which may save lives and help prevent a fire occurring in the first place. 

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is also pleading with Pendle residents to have any electrical equipment checked by a qualified person if they suspect there is a problem with any electrical appliance.

Particularly during the colder weather, they ask that residents ensure that flammable materials are not stored too close to heat sources, as this too proves to be a big cause of fires in the winter months.

If you do not have any smoke detection, or feel you would like fire fighters to provide you with specific advice for yourself and your family, call free phone on 0800 169 11 25.