Firefighters issue wood burner safety warning during cold snap

Firefighters at Heathfield Community Fire Station have issued a safety warning to residents using wood burners during the current cold weather, after attending multiple incidents linked to fires and dangerous smoke. Crews say they have been called to several homes where logs stored too close to lit wood burners have caught fire or begun to […]

Firefighters at Heathfield Community Fire Station have issued a safety warning to residents using wood burners during the current cold weather, after attending multiple incidents linked to fires and dangerous smoke.

Crews say they have been called to several homes where logs stored too close to lit wood burners have caught fire or begun to smoulder, filling properties with hazardous smoke gases. The incidents were caused by extreme radiated heat from the burners.

Heathfield firefighters are urging people to follow simple safety steps to reduce the risk of fire:

• Do not store logs or kindling next to a wood burner
• Do not dry logs beside a wood burner
• Do not keep firelighters, matches or lighters near a wood burner
• Do not store paper or newspapers next to or around the burner
• Do not place items on top of the wood burner
• Never leave a lit wood burner unattended

Firefighters say taking these precautions can significantly reduce the risk of house fires and smoke inhalation.

In an emergency, residents are reminded to dial 999 immediately.