House fires: prevention, safety and claiming on your home insurance

A house fire can be an extremely frightening and dangerous experience. We’ve put together this guide to help you prevent and cope with a fire – and explain what to do after a house fire from an insurance perspective.

Smoke alarms 

A smoke alarm could save your life. Every home should have at least one smoke alarm on each floor, and every alarm should be tested at least once a month. Standard battery-operated alarms need the batteries changed once a year.

There are lots of different types to choose from and your local fire and rescue service will be happy to give you advice on which one is best suited for you. It’s a good idea to place each smoke alarm close to a potential source of fire.

Often, people place smoke alarms in the kitchen and then disconnect them because they cause a nuisance during cooking. Statistically, more fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else, but to avoid sensitivity to everyday cooking mishaps like burning toast, it’s best to place the smoke alarm just outside the kitchen. It’ll still detect genuine kitchen fires, including those from white goods like fridges.

A fire in a bathroom or garage is relatively uncommon. It’s much easier for fires to take hold where there’s a lot of combustible material such as carpets, curtains, bedding and clothes. It’s a good idea to have an alarm close to the bedrooms (such as on a landing), and in the living room.

From 1 February 2022, all homes in Scotland will be required by law to install smoke alarms which  means they will need to have:

• One smoke alarm in the most commonly used room 
• One smoke alarm in any ‘circulation’ space (such as hallway or landing)
• One heat alarm in the kitchen 

All alarms must be mounted on the ceiling and interlinked which means that if one alarm goes off, they all go off. 

Any homes with carbon-fuelled appliances, such as a boiler or heater, must also have a carbon monoxide detector installed.  

Fire safety in the kitchen

According to the Fire Service, around half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents

• Keep the oven and hob clean
• Don't let food and fat build up on the oven, hob or grill as you risk them burning and causing a fire
• Don't leave children in the kitchen alone - turn saucepan handles towards the hob so little hands can't reach up to grab at them
• Be careful with loose clothing - wear short sleeves or roll them up
• Don't leave oven gloves or tea towels hanging near the hob
• Buy a fire blanket for your kitchen
• Be careful when deep fat frying as hot cooking oil sets alight easily. If oil smokes, it's too hot, so turn off the heat and leave it to cool.

If a pan catches fire, don't take any risks – turn off the heat and, if safe to do so, cover with a fire blanket. Never throw water over it and don't try to tackle the fire yourself. Just get to safety and call 999.

Fire safety around your home

• Don't overload sockets - high-powered appliances like washing machines and tumble dryers should their own socket
• Clear your washing machine and tumble dryer filters regularly to prevent build-up of fabric deposits and unplug them when they're not in use
• Turn off electrical devices that aren't in use, especially ones that give off heat like hair straighteners and phone chargers
• Leaving the television on standby increases chances of an electrical fire starting so switch it off
• Avoid leaving the washing machine and dryer on overnight 
• Don't leave electric blankets switched on while you're out of the house - either store them flat or rolled up as folding can damage the internal wiring. Regularly check them for wear and tear and never use them with a hot water bottle
• Keep portable heaters upright and secured against a wall and on a flat surface to stop them falling over
• Keep heaters away from curtains and furniture, and never dry clothes on them
• Make sure your furniture has a fire-resistant label
• If you have an open fireplace, make sure the chimney is swept regularly and use a fireguard
• Keep matches out of the reach of children
• If you smoke, make sure cigarettes are stubbed out properly in an ashtray and never in a wastepaper basket - and don’t smoke in bed
• Be careful with candles - keep them away from curtains and other upholstery. Put them out if you leave the room and before bed

Be prepared for a fire

• Check your home insurance policy schedule for precautions you must take. For example, you’ll need to install fire extinguishers if you live in a thatched-roof property
• Plan an escape route for you and anyone else in the house - arrange a meeting point, whether in the street or in the garden
• Keep all doorways keep exits clear of obstacles in case a speedy escape is needed

What to do during a house fire

• Where possible, extinguish a small fire by starving it of oxygen with a fire blanket
• Don’t attempt to tackle a large fire yourself, raise the alarm straight away and call the emergency services 
• Evacuate as quickly as you can
• If there’s a lot of smoke, stay as low as possible as smoke rises
• Place a wet towel over your mouth, which acts as a filter to help you breathe more easily
• If you’re not on the ground floor, first try escaping down the stairwell – don’t use any lifts
• Tell neighbours if you think their property may also be affected especially if the fire spreads to the loft space, or you have people living above you
• Renters living on the first or second floor can ask their landlord for a set of foldable steps that can be used to escape from a window

What if my house has asbestos?

During a house fire, pieces of asbestos and some fibres may remain in the ash and present a risk if they are disturbed.

If you suspect that asbestos-containing materials have been burnt at your property, don’t attempt to clean the ashes up. Instead, speak to the Admiral Home Claims Team who will advise the best course of action.

Claiming on your home insurance after a house fire

A house fire is an extremely traumatic event, and damage to your home is likely to be significant – including damage from water used to extinguish the flames.

If your home's damaged by a fire, the first priority is your health. Don’t worry about contacting us until you’re physically and mentally fit to do so. When you’re ready, call our claims team on 0333 220 2034.

If you have a combined home insurance policy, you’ll be covered in two ways:

1. The Building 
2. Its Contents

Dealing with the aftermath of a fire:

• Ventilate the property by opening windows and doors, where safe to do so, to allow fresh air to circulate
• Don't use the gas or electricity until they’ve been checked by a professional
• Don't throw away anything until a full inventory of damaged items has been taken
• If possible, take photographs of the damage
• If the electricity is off, remove food from fridges and freezers and list all items
• Unless the smoke damage is very localised, it’s probably best to leave any cleaning attempts to professional cleaners. For example, we can instruct a restoration company to handle the clean up
• If the damage is extensive and there’s any danger of collapse, or if there are any health risks, vacate the premises, leaving it as secure as possible

Your home will be assessed by the fire service to see if it’s structurally sound. If so, we may assign a loss adjuster to assess the cost of repairs, and begin the process of rebuilding.

If not, your home may be condemned and require demolition. It may be entirely rebuilt or, if this is impractical, you may receive a cash pay-out equivalent to the amount it has decreased in value. factoring in things such as the value of the land it presently stands on.

You’ll also be able to claim for replacement of any items damaged by fire or smoke on your contents insurance subject to your policy limits and definitions. There may also be the possibility that your home will be considered uninhabitable while repairs are being completed.

In this case, we’ll pay the reasonable cost of temporary alternative accommodation for you and your family who normally live at your home including your pets, up to the limit shown in your policy documents.