Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Wheal Kitty, St Agnes at 22/11/2009 16:38

Firefighters from Perranporth dealt with a chimney fire using one hosereel by 1715hrs.

General Fire Safety Advice:
Make a Clean Sweep of It!
The number of chimney fires in Cornwall is on the rise.
During the winter of 2008 / 2009, there was a 30% rise in fires from the previous year - possibly due to the side-effects of the current credit crunch. It appears that more people are using open fires and wood burners, because of the rising costs of gas, electricity and oil.

Most chimney fires are preventable. Regular inspection and cleaning of chimney flues will help prevent fires within chimneys.
We are urging anyone who plans to light their fire this winter to get it swept first. The cost of a chimney sweep is very small (from approximately £30) when compared to dealing with the damage and cost of repair from a fire.

For further fire safety advice, please visit:

www.cornwall.gov.uk/firesafety

or the link below

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=7278