Small fire habits: candles, chargers and batteries

The Running a Home module covers smoke alarms, escape plans and gas. This lesson is about the small daily habits in a bedroom or studio flat that stop a fire starting at all.

Candles, incense and bakhoor

• Never leave candles, incense, oil burners or diya lamps unattended (London Fire Brigade). The same thinking applies to a bakhoor or oud burner: never leave hot coals burning in an empty room.
• Blow them out when you leave the room, and always before bed (London Fire Brigade).
• Use a heat-resistant holder on a stable surface, away from curtains, paper, furniture and clothes (London Fire Brigade).
• Tea lights get very hot and can melt through plastic surfaces such as a TV or bath without a proper holder (London Fire Brigade).
• London Fire Brigade says flameless LED candles are a much safer alternative and can be left on unattended.
• Check whether your halls or tenancy bans candles or incense altogether; many student residences do.

Phones, laptops and chargers

• Buy chargers from a reputable source and avoid cheap counterfeit ones (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service).
• Avoid charging laptops, phones or tablets overnight, and do not charge them on beds, duvets or soft furnishings, which can cause overheating (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service).
• Do not use appliances from abroad in UK sockets unless they have been converted for UK use (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service). Bring proper adaptors, not improvised ones.
• Do not overload sockets: each extension lead or adaptor has a maximum limit (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service). The Running a Home module explains overloading in more detail.

Hair tools and heaters

• Switch hair straighteners off and let them cool completely on a heatproof surface before putting them away (Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service).
• Never leave straighteners, curling tongs or irons on a bed or carpet, even for a moment.
• If you use a portable heater in a cold country, keep it well away from bedding, curtains and clothes drying, and switch it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

E-bikes and e-scooters

• London Fire Brigade says that on average there is a fire from an e-bike or e-scooter lithium-ion battery every two days in London, and many happen at home while charging. It recorded 206 such fires in a single year, its highest ever.
• Never charge while you are asleep or out, and unplug the charger once charging has finished (London Fire Brigade, via Tower Hamlets Council).
• Let the battery cool down before charging, and use the correct, official charger from a reputable seller (London Fire Brigade).
• Never store or charge them in a hallway or by the front door, where a fire would block your escape. Store them in a safe place outside, such as a garage or shed, if possible (London Fire Brigade).
• Warning signs: a battery that is hot to the touch or has changed shape (London Fire Brigade). Stop using it and get advice.
• Avoid DIY conversion kits: London Fire Brigade advises using a professional and a new battery from a reputable seller, and checking for UK safety marks such as UKCA or CE.

A bedtime fire check

• Candles and burners out.
• Straighteners, irons and heaters off and unplugged.
• Nothing charging on the bed; e-bike or e-scooter not charging.
• Hallway and route to the door clear.