Fire safety at home
In the event of a fire in your home, an escape plan can save your life.
The safest fire procedure for your home depends on what kind of building you live in. It is vital you know the fire evacuation plan for your building and where the exits are.
The London Fire Brigade has advice on what to do if you live in a:
If you are a council tenant or leaseholder, contact your on-site caretaker or housing officer for more information about your evacuation plan. If you are a private tenant in Camden, contact your landlord.
Remove fire hazards
If you store personal belongings in shared areas, they could prevent people from getting out safely during a fire.
If you have large items you need to get rid of, find out how to book a bulky waste collection. You can also call 020 7974 4444, selecting option 4 and then option 3.
Smoke alarms and safety checks
All homes must have a working smoke alarm. You are 4 times less likely to die from a fire in a home where a smoke alarm is fitted.
Smoke alarms have 10-year batteries and are designed to be easy to use with a ‘hush’ button for false alarms. If your alarm stops working, the London Fire Brigade will replace it for free.
All Camden residents can request a free home fire safety visit from the London Fire Brigade.
During your visit, they will:
- fit free and additional smoke alarms, if you need them
- replace any broken equipment
- give advice on preventing fires
- assess your home for fire risks
Visits are targeted in areas and situations where there is a higher risk of fire. This includes homes of older or disabled people.
There are also alarms designed specifically for people with hearing or visual impairments, such as an alarm that activates a strobe light or vibrating pad for the hearing impaired. These are also installed free of charge.
Advice to keep you safe
To help prevent fires from happening, you should:
- avoid leaving your hob or grill unattended while in use
- take care when cooking with hot oil and think about using automatic deep fat fryers
- never leave lit candles unattended
- make sure cigarettes are stubbed out and disposed of carefully
- never smoke in bed
- do not overload sockets and follow advice on electric devices that can cause fires
- keep matches and lighters away from children
- never use a barbecue indoors or on a balcony
- keep clothing away from heating appliances
- take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking
The London Fire Brigade website has more fire safety advice.
Gas cooker recall
Beko is seeking some older models of Beko, Flavel and Leisure gas cookers that can pose a serious risk to your health.
The affected models were manufactured before 2009 and could produce fatal levels of carbon monoxide if using the grill with the door closed.
You can check if your cooker is affected.