You should always:

• Fit a Carbon Monoxide detector in all rooms where there is an open fire or stove
• Keep all furniture at least three feet away from your fire
• Put the fire guard up if you feel sleepy
• Let fires burn down before going to bed – and don’t forget to put the guard up
• Keep the guard up at all times if you have children or pets
• Have your chimney swept at least once a year - twice if you use it lots
• Check your hearth regularly – if it’s cracked, have it fixed professionally

You should never:

• Leave a lit fire unattended without a fireguard
• Use flammable liquids like barbecue lighter fuel to light a fire
• Throw flammable liquids or spray cans onto the fire
• Use building or packing timber as firewood – it’s very sparky
• Dry clothes over or in front of the fire – they could catch light
• Place mirrors over the fire – people stand too close and risk setting clothes on fire

For stoves, you should also:

• Replace any cracked door glass or casings immediately
• Always use certified fire glass in stove doors
• Use the right type of fuel (using coal in wood stoves can damage them)
• Be careful not to leave flammable items like clothes and paper on top of the stove