Fire safety

There are lots of things you can to do to help prevent fires

To make sure that you’re staying safe read through the tips in this page.

You can also read about the work we do to ensure fire safety in homes and apartment blocks.

If there is a fire in your home

Make sure everyone in your home knows there’s a smoke alarm going off and make your way to your escape route
Close all doors behind you to stop the fire from spreading
If you are able, crawl along the floor if there’s smoke as the air will be clearer.

Once you’re safe outside, call 999 for Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

Prepare an escape plan

Your escape routes will usually be your normal ways out of the house, for example front and back doors, so keep those exits clear
Also keep all doors and windows clear so everyone can get to them if needed
Keep any fire doors closed as they help to slow down the spread of the fire and give you extra time to get out
Ensure everyone else in your household knows what the escape plan is.

Know your building’s evacuation plan

If you live in a block of flats, you might be given stay put and wait for rescue advice if there’s a fire in another flat.

If you’re not sure what your building’s evacuation plan is, please contact us so we can go through it with you.

Fire safety tips

There are a few simple things you can do to improve safety at home:

Check your smoke alarm is working by pressing the test button once a month
Never leave cooking unattended
Double check that the oven or hob is off when you’ve finished cooking
Keep hot pans out of the reach of children
Don’t put anything metal in the microwave that can cause a fire
Keep the oven, hob and grill clean, as a build-up of fat and grease can easily catch fire
Avoid cooking if you’re tired, have been drinking alcohol or taking medication that might make you drowsy
Use a thermostat-controlled deep fat fryer instead of a chip pan. If you’re using a chip pan, never fill it more than one-third of fat or oil and don’t leave the pan on its own when the heat is switched on
See our electrical safety page for more advice.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Electrical safety

How you can help

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and you also have a crucial part to play. It's important that you and the people you live with know what to do in the event of an emergency and also how to reduce the risk of fire in and around your home.

If you live in a block, make sure that stairwells and landings in communal areas are kept clear so that it’s easy for people to leave the building. We regularly check the communal areas and will ask you to remove anything that’s stored outside your flat.

Also ensure that all fire doors in your home and block are closed at all times. Never prop them open or remove an automatic closer.

Please contact straight away if you have any concerns or need to raise fire safety repairs in our buildings, for example a fault with a fire door.

How we keep you safe

We follow all relevant government guidelines relating to fire safety and fire risk assessments
We deliver an ongoing rolling programme of fire risk assessments and make sure any actions needed are resolved by a given deadline
We install and maintain heat and smoke detectors in the homes we rent (if you own your home, you are responsible for this)
We regularly check fire doors in the buildings we manage
We take action if we find items being stored in any communal areas.

Customer Safety and Assurance Reports

To ensure customers living in blocks have access to appropriate safety information and know who to contact with any concerns, Coastline has created the Customer Safety and Assurance Report, also known as a CESAR.

Copies are on display in blocks and communal areas, and have regular updates when safety information is refreshed.

Featured documents

Fire Door Customer Guidance

Fire Safety Annual Information For Homes With a Stay Put Policy