Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is supporting The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) National Home Safety Week, highlighting the importance of installing alarms in your home.

Both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms can save lives in the event of a fire or a CO incident, as they provide precious time to escape.

Will Richardson, group manager and head of prevention said: “Home Safety Week encourages people to assess the needs of their homes and ensure they have adequate alarms fitted for their individual needs.

“In 18% of house fires in the UK, smoke alarms failed to activate. The most common reason was because the fire was outside the alarm's range.

"So, we ask householders to install alarms to ensure the whole home is covered. Smoke alarms should be installed in the rooms used the most, as this is where a fire is most likely to start and one on each level of the home.

"Carbon monoxide alarms should be in all rooms with a fuel burning appliance.”

The county's fire service is urging people to consider the risks in their homes, and take action to prevent incidents, ensuring they have the right detection in the right places to be alerted if an incident happens.

Fitting a smoke alarm on every floor of a home should be recognised as a minimum standard.

It is recommended that, in addition to one on each floor of the home, smoke alarms are fitted in every room in the house which is regularly inhabited, based upon the fire risk to the occupants.

All smoke alarms – including hard wired – should be replaced after ten years, or by the ‘replace by’ date indicated on the base or earlier if found to be defective.

Cumbria FRS also recommends that any room with a fuel burning appliance such as an open fire, wood burning stove or gas appliance such as a boiler or cooker should also have a working CO alarm fitted.

Every home in Cumbria is eligible to apply for a free Home Safety Visit to help them deal with any potential fire hazards in their homes.

Cumbria FRS can help families design a fire plan so that they know how to react if there is a fire.

They will also fit a battery powered smoke detector free of charge, if needed.

To find out more, visit the Cumbria County Council website, call 0800 358 4777, or email hart@cumbria.gov.uk.