House fires 'cost £8k'

The average cost of a house fire is nearly £8,500, Halifax home insurance has found.

This week is Fire Safety Week and Halifax is urging homeowners to examine their house insurance and to ensure that they are taking precautions to stay safe.

They caution that people who have a real fireplace should have their chimneys swept, to clear debris such as birds' nests and autumn leaves, before they light up.

Vicky Emmott, from Halifax home insurance, says: "With 200 house fires happening every day, there's definitely more that could be done to protect people's homes and families from the risks of fire.

"We are urging all householders to spend a bit of time checking their homes and improving fire safety measures."

Halifax also suggests that householders should check the batteries in their smoke alarms regularly, and that all members of the family, and regular guests, are made aware of ways to escape from the house, if the worst happened.

08/11/2007 13:09:55