Fire safety plea for Wigan residents to have their chimneys swept

With the temperature outside falling this week, many people may have started to use the fires in their homes more regularly to keep warm.

But chimneys need to be maintained to make sure a blaze does not start, particularly if a log-burner fire is being used.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service was called to 157 chimney fires in the past five winters, with 25 of those taking place in the Wigan borough.

While most years there were only a few incidents in the borough, November 2018 to March 2019 was particularly bad with 10 chimney fires in Wigan, out of 35 across the county.

So far this winter there have been two chimney fires in Wigan and firefighters do not want this number to rise.

They are encouraging people to check their chimneys are safe before using their log-burners this winter to prevent a blaze starting in the chimney.

Serious chimney fires can cause severe damage to properties and spread to neighbouring buildings, as well as putting lives at risk.

Craig Pinder, the fire service’s group manager for Bolton and Wigan, said: “As we see an increased number of residents spending more time at home in the run-up to Christmas I would like to remind everyone, if they haven’t already, to get their chimneys swept.

“This will help you to stay safe from fire but also make your fire more efficient. Please inspect your chimney breast, and the roof space if you can, looking out for cracks or broken bricks that sparks or fumes could escape from when the fire is lit.”

The warning comes after firefighters were last week called to a blaze in a chimney at a house in Oldham, which was believed to have been caused by a blocked flue in a log-burner.

To minimise the risk of a chimney fire, people are advised to: keep chimneys and flues clean and well maintained; make sure embers are properly put out before going to bed; and use a fire guard to protect against flying sparks from hot embers.

Fires using oil or gas should be cleaned once a year, while it should be done twice annually for bituminous coal and up to four times a year for wood. Those using smokeless coals should be swept at least once a year.

Chimney sweeps can be found via the Association of Professional and Independent Chimney Sweeps and Guild of Master Chimney Sweeps.

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