How to avoid a recipe for disaster

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has launched a hard-hitting campaign to drive down the number of house fires during the winter months.

The campaign details the various ingredients of a disaster, such as: A skin full of lager, stagger home, put food under grill, turn TV on, fall asleep for 10 mins, which then leads to burning the house down. The visuals also provide fire safety advice and encourage the public to book a free home fire safety check.

The county-wide campaign, which includes posters, beer mats and vehicle advertising, will target pubs, clubs, shops, job centres, post offices, taxi offices and other public places. Some of the photos featured were taken by fire investigators at real incidents, while others are the result of computer technology and makeup.

Craig McIntosh, Director of Fire Safety and Community Relations, said: “We have found that there is a real increase in the number of fires in the home during the winter months, when people are more likely to be indoors cooking and trying to stay warm.

“The campaign is hard-hitting and uses graphic images because we want it to strike a chord and ultimately reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries. Our aim is to get as much fire safety advice out there as possible and to encourage householders to book a free home fire safety check, which usually involves the fitting of free smoke alarms.”

For a free home fire safety check call 0800 587 4536 or visit www.westyorksfire.gov.uk