Ford recalls over 600,000 vehicles globally due to fire risk

by Featured NewsSafety

Ford Motor Co is to recall 634,000 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) worldwide over fire risks from possible cracked fuel injectors and will urge owners to have their cars inspected, Reuters reported.

Ford said when engines in the SUVs covered by the latest recall are operating, a cracked fuel injector could cause fuel or fuel vapor to accumulate near hot surfaces, potentially resulting in fire under the hood. Once repairs are available dealers will update vehicle software to detect whether a fuel injector is cracked and provide a dashboard message to alert drivers.

The automaker said the recall covers 2020-2023 model year Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs with 3 cylinder, 1.5 litre engines, including many also recalled in April because an oil separator housing could crack and develop a leak that could cause an engine fire.

Vehicles repaired under the earlier recall will still need the new recall fix, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Ford said it has 54 total reports of 1.5 liter under-hood fires, including four with cracked fuel injectors. About 13 others were probably caused by a leaking fuel injector.

“If a pressure drop in the fuel rail is detected, engine power will automatically be reduced to minimize any risk, while also allowing customers to drive to a safe location and stop the vehicle and arrange for service,” Ford said.

Dealers will also install a tube draining fuel from the cylinder head and away from hot surfaces and check for excessive fuel odor near the top of the engine. The recall covers about 520,000 vehicles in the United States and about 114,000 in other countries. Ford said it is not telling owners to stop driving vehicles under this recall. The company projects a low failure rate for fuel injectors experiencing external leaks.

NFPA offers advice to avoid cooking fires on Thanksgiving

by Featured News

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has urged added caution when preparing Thanksgiving feasts feast, as Thanksgiving Day represents the leading day of the year for home cooking fires. Between three and four times as many cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day as a typical day of the year.

NFPA data shows that cooking was the leading cause of reported home structure fires and civilian fire injuries and the second-leading cause of civilian fire deaths and direct property damage, on annual average between 2015-2019.

On Thanksgiving Day alone, an estimated 1,400 home cooking fires were reported to US fire departments in 2019, reflecting a 228 percent increase over the daily average.

Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA commented: “Thanksgiving is a hectic holiday, with multiple dishes cooking and baking at the same time, along with lots of guests, entertaining, and other distractions in the home that can make it easy to lose sight of what’s on the stove or in the oven.

“Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires, so we strongly encourage people keep a close eye on what they’re cooking and to minimize the likelihood of getting distracted.”

“The good news is that the vast majority of cooking fires are preventable. By taking simple steps and precautions to minimize the likelihood of having a cooking fire, everyone can enjoy a festive, fire-safe Thanksgiving.”

NFPA cooking safety tips

  • Never leave the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop. Some types of cooking, especially those that involve frying or sautéing with oil, need continuous attention.
  • When cooking a turkey, remain at home and check it regularly.
  • Make use of timers to keep track of cooking times, particularly for foods that require longer cook times.
  • Keep things that can catch fire like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers, and towels at least three feet away from the cooking area.
  •  Avoid long sleeves and hanging fabrics that can come in contact with a heat source.
  • Always cook with a lid beside your pan. If you have a fire, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner. Do not remove the cover because the fire could start again. Let the pan cool for a long time. Never throw water or use a fire extinguisher on the fire.
  • For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed. Only open the door once you’re confident the fire is completely out, standing to the side as you do. If you have any doubts or concerns, contact the fire department for assistance.
  • Keep children at least three feet away from the stove. Kids should also stay away from hot foods and liquids, as steam or splash from these items could cause severe burns.

In addition, NFPA strongly discourages the use of turkey fryers that use cooking oil, which can cause devastating burns. For a safe alternative, NFPA recommends purchasing a fried turkey from a grocery store or restaurant or buying a fryer that does not use oil.

UK to continue recognising CE marking for two more years

by Featured NewsSafety

The UK government has announced plans to introduce legislation to continue recognition of the CE marking and reversed epsilon marking until 31 December 2024. This will apply to most goods being placed on the market or put into service in Great Britain as part of new ministers’ commitment to reduce burdens for industry.

The government has said it will also continue with the measures on retesting and labelling announced in June. The timescales will be amended to reflect the extension.

The move aims to reduce labelling costs by continuing to allow businesses to affix the UKCA marking, and to include importer information for products from EEA countries (and in some cases, Switzerland) on an accompanying document or a label until 31 December 2027.

It is also intended to reduce re-testing costs for UKCA certification by allowing conformity assessment activities for CE marking undertaken by 31 December 2024 to be used by manufacturers as the basis for UKCA marking, until the expiry of the certificate or until 31 December 2027, whichever is sooner.

These measures are being implemented to provide businesses with more flexibility and reduce regulatory burdens for businesses. The government said it will use the UK’s regulatory autonomy to help businesses navigate the current global economic and supply chain challenges whilst prioritising growth. In parallel, the government said it will also consider how it can reduce costs and burdens associated with the UK regulatory framework in the longer-term, including opportunities under the Product Safety Review.

Rules remain different for medical devices, construction products, cableways, transportable pressure equipment, unmanned aircraft systems, rail products, and marine equipment. Departments responsible for these sectors are making sector specific arrangements.

UL Solutions opens major new fire resistance testing lab in Gloucestershire

by Featured NewsSafety

A major new fire resistance testing laboratory at Blockley, Gloucestershire, has opened in response to the urgent demand for more fire testing facilities in the UK. The lab features two of the largest furnaces of their kind.

UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, in partnership with the FPA, opened the new fire resistance testing laboratory for building products and systems, doors and windows, fire stopping, joint systems, and related fire resistance products.

The facility, which was funded by UL Solutions and features fire resistance test furnaces that will benefit manufacturers from the UK, Europe and worldwide who require independent fire testing and certification, is located at the FPA’s testing laboratory in Blockley, Gloucestershire.

The testing capabilities at the laboratory, which will be performed by the FPA, will be beneficial to manufacturers seeking UKCA and CE marking services (UK Conformity Assessment and Conformité Européenne markings).

The two new furnaces complement the FPA’s existing UKAS-accredited BS 8414 test rigs. The large 4-metre-by-3-metre wall furnace can accommodate larger test samples, and more systems can be tested simultaneously, allowing UL Solutions to provide customers with expedited results.

Karine Johnfroe, vice president and general manager of the Built Environment group at UL Solutions, commented on the opening: “This new laboratory offers much-needed extra capacity for fire resistance testing, and we’re delighted to have worked with the FPA on this project.

“The partnership between the FPA and UL Solutions demonstrates our shared mission of working for a safer world. With the Blockley laboratory and by offering services to help meet regulatory and code requirements, we are able to provide trust and confidence to code authorities while supporting contractors and building owners that building products they use to meet regulatory and code requirements.”

Although the fire resistance laboratory has been developed primarily to support UK-based manufacturers, it will also serve as a resource for businesses outside the UK wishing to access the post-Brexit UK market, who can use it to confirm that their products meet UK requirements and standards.

Jonathan O’Neill OBE, the FPA’s managing director, commented: “The FPA is delighted to be part of this dynamic collaboration with UL Solutions that will further enhance capacity and capabilities at our Blockley site.

“A UL Solutions Certification is universally recognised as providing trust and confidence to code authorities that products meet code requirements. Now, as a result of our work together, manufacturers and system providers will not only have access to the tests and certifications required by UK regulations but will also be able to satisfy the requirements of regulators around the world.”

The Blockley facility complements the existing UL Solutions testing and certification services provided in the UK, covering facades, cladding building envelope systems, and door hardware testing, including testing to a wide range of North American and European standards.

IFSJ Exclusive: Improving early wildfire detection with GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY

by Featured NewsIFSJ Exclusives
Alan Snook, President at GRID20/20 tells IFSJ about the fire detection solution that helps catch wildfires early

For many, the threat of wildfire is omnipresent and its ability to devastate is unpredictable and unprecedented. On 8 November 2018, the Paradise fire in California spread over seven miles in 90 minutes, crossed a large canyon, claimed the lives of 85 and resulted in over $25.5 billion in costs and settlements. For Alan Snook, President at GRID20/20, the Paradise tragedy was a catalyst for innovation. And annual wildfire damages of $50 Billion to $100+ Billion assures him they are on the right track.

While watching a documentary about the Paradise fire, Snook considered how his team could leverage their company’s intra-grid sensor expertise and capitalise on the height, location and density of existing overhead transformers to create proactive always-on fire/wildfire monitoring canopies throughout communities. And so GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY was born.

In development

Initially, says Snook, the wildfire mitigation product was an add-on sensor pack to the face of his company’s legacy Advanced Transformer Infrastructure® device: “Our first generation product was a piggyback design that was sealed onto our legacy ATI hardware,” he explains.

Following multiple lab and field tests, the second-generation product is a fully-contained technology that now simultaneously includes fire detection and/or intra-grid monitoring capability. This second generation version is designed for both single phase and poly phase overhead transformers. Thus enabling deployment upon virtually every overhead distribution transformer used by operators within their existing grid architecture. GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY devices can be mounted on most overhead transformers in 5-7 minutes causing no service interruption to customers.

Throughout the nearly two-year process of bringing GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY to market there have been many lab and field tests. This includes: four separate field tests at a major Investor-Owned Utility’s fire training centre in Virginia, a field test at a volunteer fire department in Virginia, a field demo in Hawaii for first responders and utility personnel, and another comprehensive field demo in Ventura County California in September this year for first responder personnel, and representatives of Western Fire Chiefs Association, California State Firefighters Association, and FirstNet® Ready built by AT&T; the latter being a dedicated cellular network by which GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is certified.

The solution

GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is a turnkey wildfire mitigation solution that involves patented field sensors, automated alert capability and seamless interfacing for expedited field conditions reporting to authorised users. Snooks calls it a ‘set it and forget it’ technology; but one that users can remotely adjust as needed using over the air upgrade capability.

“Via 24/7 monitoring, our patented sensors use Infrared for ‘seeing’ fire/wildfire heat-induced conditions, plus onboard smoke/gas detection, humidity monitoring, and ambient temperature monitoring,” explains Snook. “These features are designed to detect conditions that are commonly associated with an unfolding fire.”

“The GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY sensor data is typically driven by various types of cellular communications, thereby facilitating important auto alert capability. Our software and analytics can be seamlessly integrated with existing utility and first responder platforms and made available to authorised users via Graphical User Interface (GUI).”

GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY uniquely reports latitude/longitude GPS coordinates thereby enabling utility operators and first responders to more accurately dispatch personnel to where wildfire conditions are being detected.

“Ongoing empirical data flow enhances situational awareness intel so the authorities can remain informed during unfolding events,” Snook explains. “The unique intra-grid monitoring capability of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY simultaneously reports transformer asset and intra-grid conditions insights for certain fire prevention purposes.”

GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY presents a wildfire mitigation solution that helps to address important community-wide monitoring needs. Proactive atmospheric, environmental, and intra-grid conditions monitoring all wrapped into one sensor solution is novel, versatile, and cost-effective.

System integration

During GRID20/20’s 11-plus year intra-grid sensor experience, including the last two years experiencing the wildfire mitigation learning curve, Snook says his team has gained several insights. One of the most important realisations, he says, is that true wildfire mitigation will not be achieved by a single ‘solution’ or practice. Genuine wildfire mitigation will undoubtedly require multiple process improvements strategically combined with multiple technology tools.

To this end, he says that GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is a solution unique in its ability to simultaneously drive early detection, auto alerts, certain wildfire prevention capabilities, ongoing situational awareness information, and localised longitude/latitude GPS coordinates reporting for helping to pinpoint where operators and first responders must quickly target.

He notes that whilst GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY can operate as a ‘stand-alone’ always on, overhead outdoor monitoring solution, it is strategically built to interface with other solution providers to yield the best possible outcome for at-risk communities, and all stakeholders.

Looking ahead

Near term, Snook says the intention is for GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY to be adopted by utility operators and all stakeholders for the purpose of protecting at-risk communities. This, he says, will require decision-makers to recognise that the solution presents a comprehensive set of value propositions; achieved via the deployment of this versatile technology onto existing overhead grid architecture; right where we all live, work, sleep, commerce, and play.

By the adoption of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY, he anticipates that utility operators will continue to demonstrate their sincere interest to protect the communities they serve; while they too will benefit from increased wildfire protection gains to avoid or lessen damage to their grid assets, reduce corporate liability risk, and better protect the environment.

He adds that whilst video cameras have become the ‘latest tool’ being desired by authorities, he believes that people will soon recognise the comprehensive upsides that their solution presents: “GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY doesn’t have to wait for a plume of smoke to emerge and then be sighted. Rather, we are deployed on the proverbial frontlines; improving our ability to ‘see’ and ‘sniff’ fires sooner.”

“By uniquely using infrared capabilities to ‘see’ fires, and onboard sensors to ‘smell’ wildfire conditions (e.g., smoke, gas, humidity, ambient temp) we enhance early detection opportunity. Our auto alerts feature will help to accelerate notifications to authorities. And we uniquely help to locate unfolding events via our use of longitude/latitude GPS coordinates to accelerate the pinpointing of where to deploy response resources.”

He adds: “As seen repeatedly, these nasty events are typically fanned and dispersed by wind.  Hot embers can land anywhere including substantial distances away; igniting additional fires. Time is of the essence regarding fires. The most effective solutions will detect fire conditions at, or near the source.

“Our solution is substantially based on early detection. This is how we will help to accelerate responses. This is how we help to make fire events smaller, and help to reduce or avoid disasters. By being deployed on the frontlines, GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY is intended to provide a legitimate chance for early detection, and accelerated response effectiveness.”

This article was originally published in the November edition of IFSJ. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.

Electrical Fire Safety Week: Welsh Fire and Rescue Services issue ‘lifesaving’ advice

by Featured NewsSafety

All three Fire and Rescue Services in Wales have urged households to remain vigilant and follow lifesaving safety advice after a growing concern for electrical fire safety at home. In the three years to 31st October 2022, Welsh Fire and Rescue Services attended almost 1,000 accidental electrical fires in the home.

The call for action falls in line with Electrical Fire Safety Week (14 – 20 November 2022), a consumer awareness campaign run by Electrical Safety First in partnership with the Home Office.  

Fire and Rescue Services often attend fires caused by malfunctioning white goods and appliances which are worse for wear. There are fears that those could increase while people try to limit their energy costs at home by trying to take advantage of any off-peak schemes available.  

Head of Community Safety and Partnerships for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Group Manager Bleddyn Jones, warned households who want to take advantage of the ‘Demand Flexibility Schemes’ from energy suppliers which encourages users to run appliances at off-peak hours to stay alert and never leave them running unattended, especially overnight. He said: “If a fire starts while you’re asleep, you’ll have less time to be alerted and escape, putting yourself, your loved ones and your home at risk. 

“Never leave electrical appliances running overnight or unattended and ensure you have working smoke alarms fitted and test them regularly. If you need any safety advice or would like a Home Safety Visit, please complete the online form, which all Fire and Rescue Services have. We should never take the safety of our homes for granted.” 

Head of Fire Safety and West Area at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dave Hughes, said: “Electrical fires present a real risk to homeowners, often resulting in significant damage to property and sometimes with the most tragic consequences. 

“During Electrical Fire Safety Week, please take the opportunity to check your home and consider the safety of your family. 

“It’s so important to use electrical appliances and devices correctly – overloading sockets, using the wrong chargers, and not checking the wiring on items are all common causes of fires in the home, yet are all easily avoided. 

“If a fire were to break out, the effects can be devastating if they are not detected early enough, especially if this happens overnight.” 

Safety tips for householders

  • Operate appliances according to the manufacturers’ instructions. 
  • Keep electrical appliances clean, in good working order and have them serviced regularly in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. 
  • Do not buy fake or counterfeit electrical goods, these maybe untested and not meet the required safety standards. 
  • Don’t leave electrical appliances on standby, unless they are designed to be left switched on (fridges and freezers for example). All other appliances should be turned off at the plug, and ideally unplugged, before going out or going to bed. 
  • Avoid using washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers overnight or if you’re out of the home. Don’t charge phones or gadgets overnight and on soft furnishings like in or on your bed. 
  • If you do use a tumble dryer, please ensure it is well ventilated, make sure the vent pipe is kink free and not blocked or crushed in any way. Always clean out the filter after using your tumble dryer. 
  • Check your sockets regularly – if you see burn marks or they feel hot, stop using them and get a registered electrician to check if they need repairing or replacing. 
  • Make sure that any portable electric heaters are being used safely. They shouldn’t be used to dry or heat clothes and shouldn’t be left switched on when unattended. 
  • If you use an electric blanket, check that it is in good condition and that manufacturers’ instructions are followed. If a blanket is more than five years old, consider buying a new one from an approved retailer and ensure that they are stored correctly to avoid damage to the internal wiring. 
  • Use trailing gang extension leads, rather than a ‘block-type’ adaptor. To avoid overloading, don’t allow the total amps of all plugs in the adaptor to add up to more than 13 amps (or 3000 watts of power). Don’t plug adaptors into adaptors. 

Register My Appliance Campaign

The start of the week also sees Fire and Rescue Services promoting the AMDEA Register My Appliance campaign. 

Home Fire Safety Manager for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Wayne Thomas, explained: “We want you to keep safe, and with winter approaching and the cost of heating our homes potentially increasing, we urge you to take a few simple steps that could even save you some money. 

“Registering your new, old or second hand appliances means that if there is a product recall or safety issue you will be notified, and this can prevent a possible fire or hazardous condition. It only takes a couple of minutes to do and they will only contact you about product safety.” 

You can register both new and old appliances here

All Welsh Fire and Rescue Services are supporting NFCC’s Stay Fire Safe campaign to provide advice and help reduce fire risks in the home. The campaign includes encouraging people to contact their local Fire and Rescue Service to request a Safe and Well / Home Safety Check for themselves or their loved ones.

These checks are prioritised for those most at risk of a fire in the home and can involve home safety practitioners getting in contact to run through a list of questions, followed by a visit which may involve the installation of free alarms. 

NYC firefighter unions criticise Mayor Adams’ building inspection plans

by Building ManagementFeatured News

Firefighter unions in the city of New York have warned about Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to transfer some structure inspections from the FDNY to the Buildings Department.

According to the New York Post, The city’s firefighter unions are sounding the alarm over an Adams administration plan to transfer some structure inspections from the FDNY to the Buildings Department — and even allow certain “self-certification” by landlords.

The draft plan, a copy of which was seen by The Post, said it would “transfer examination, permitting, and inspections” from FDNY to DOB for “construction-related work,” while mostly limiting FDNY inspections to fire safety compliance.

The plans also discuss exploring steps ‘where self certification of inspections is facilitated’ and the notion of using “third parties” to conduct inspections instead of city government inspectors.

Union leaders have come out saying that such a plan to allow building owners to “self-certify” their facilities as safe would lead to corruption and safety lapses.

Andy Ansbro, president of the United Firefighters Association, told

“Self-certification often in the past has been proven to be faulty. It led to the death of firefighters and led to the death of civilians. The fire commissioner, Laura Kavanugh, has done a great job, and to pull this out from her within the first month of her officially being commissioner is a disgrace,” the union chief said.: “There’s absolutely no reason to go this route — we’re against it.”

London Fire Brigade issues advice on winter heating amid fire concerns

by Featured NewsSafety

London Fire Brigade has issued advice on how to safely stay warm through the winter nights over concerns heating-related fires could soar to levels not seen since the ‘Big Freeze’ of 2010

With the Met Office predicting it could be a colder winter than normal and with the rising cost of energy bills, the Brigade is concerned the next few months could see fires rise back up to 2010 levels as people turn to alternative methods to heat their homes.

December 2010 saw record-breaking temperatures which froze much of the UK, beating the 1982 record for coldest winter. During 2010, there were more than 290 fires caused by heating equipment. The Brigade has revealed they have not seen the same number of fires since, with crews attending around 40 per cent fewer heating fires in homes last year compared to the peak in 2010.

Popular choices for cost-effective methods to stay warm at night include portable heaters and electric blankets, but the Brigade is urging caution around using these appliances, particularly while sleeping. Last week a man was taken to hospital after a house fire in Wembley caused by materials placed too close to a halogen heater.

London firefighters are now encouraging people to carry out some simple safety measures before using electric blankets, including checking for any wear and tear by checking if any wires are visible or poking through the fabric, looking for any scorch marks and listening to see if the control makes a buzzing sound when switched on.

London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: “While we might not see the same freezing temperatures that we saw in 2010, the next few months are forecast to see temperatures drop. This, coupled with rising energy costs, means there’s a very real risk heating-related fires could even surpass numbers seen a decade ago. We know that people will turn to alternative ways to keep their families warm overnight without turning on the heating, we just want to make sure that people are staying safe at the same time.

“For example, we know that people may want to use portable heaters to heat just one room or use electric blankets in bed. It’s really important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and ensure these items are safety registered and in good working order. If you’re using these items around children always supervise them carefully and place heaters somewhere where they won’t be accidentally knocked over and away from anything that could catch fire. “

Firefighters under attack in Scotland as crews attend over 350 bonfires

by Featured NewsSafety

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service received 1,025 calls during an eight-hour period on bonfire night (5 November) with Operations Control staff mobilising crews to 356 bonfires.

During the call outs, five attacks on crews were recorded, however no injuries have been reported at this time.

Assistant Chief Officer David Farries is director of service delivery for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “It’s been another busy and challenging evening for our crews and Operations Control staff around Scotland and I thank them for their dedication.

“We are disappointed to report five attacks on our firefighters. In the run up to Bonfire Night, we had spoken out about this kind of unacceptable behaviour by a small minority which sadly happens year after year. Our staff should be able to carry out their role without being attacked and it is disappointing that people have tried to hurt firefighters and have damaged our appliances and equipment.

“Crews only attend bonfire related incidents when people contact us about concerns over public safety and we extinguish fires that are unsafe.

“We put a huge amount of planning and preparation into this evening with local partners and other emergency services as we work together to protect communities, which is always our top priority.”

London Fire Brigade urges caution for Bonfire Night

by Breaking NewsSafety

London Fire Brigade has asked people to take extra care this Bonfire Night over firefighter concerns that home fireworks displays could cause a spate of fires.

The call comes as emergency calls to the Brigade’s 999 Control Room in November last year reached a five-year high and as many organised fireworks displays have been cancelled.

During last year’s bonfire period (1-6 November 2021), Control Officers took around 2,170 emergency calls. More than 20 per cent of these occurred on Bonfire Night alone, which was the highest number of calls the Brigade has seen on 5 November since 2016.

Concerns that firefighters could see a bumper bonfire weekend due to DIY displays were heightened after crews were called to a fire in Southall caused by a firework just last week. Around 25 firefighters tackled the blaze which destroyed a garage, damaged cars and resulted in a man being treated for injuries.

The Brigade has been preparing for one of their busiest nights of the year by hosting several community events targeted towards promoting firework safety, but last year’s spike in calls has now prompted them to go one step further and appeal to the public to think twice before holding fireworks displays at home.

Organised displays are much safer and controlled, reducing the risk of people being injured at home or causing fires which spread out of control. Those who are unable to find a professional display near them are being asked to familiarise themselves with the Brigade’s advice and celebrate safely.

The Brigade is also urging Londoners to avoid building bonfires in gardens and to check their local authority’s guidance on bonfires. Those who choose to build a bonfire despite the warning are advised to build them far away from buildings, garden sheds, fences and hedges and never leave them unattended.

Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: “The period around Bonfire Night has traditionally been very busy for our firefighters and Control Officers, but last year calls to our Control Room reached a five-year high, which is really concerning to see. We are ready, willing and able to respond to incidents so please don’t hesitate to call us in an emergency, but we are asking Londoners to help by considering alternative ways to celebrate safely.

“Our advice has always been that it’s safer to attend professional displays rather than using fireworks at home. Often going to an organised display can be cheaper than buying fireworks to use yourself and there are still lots of displays taking place across the capital.

“However, we know with some local events cancelled this year, there will be people considering putting on DIY displays. If you are holding your own it’s important to ensure you are buying safe fireworks. Only buy fireworks from a reputable, licensed seller and make sure they have a CE safety mark. If you’re drinking alcohol, don’t set off fireworks and never return to a firework once it’s been lit. Finally, always keep children safe and supervised – sparklers in particular can quickly cause serious burns even if they appear to be extinguished.”