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If a fire breaks out in your home, get out, stay out and call 999.

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Smoke alarms

All our homes should be fitted with hard wired smoke and heat alarms. 

If your home is not already fitted with a smoke and heat alarm, you can contact your local fire and rescue service to book a Home Fire Safety visit, where they will be able to give you some more advice and fit some alarms free of charge.  Just tell them you’re a Stonewater customer when booking.

Homeowners who sublet their home are required by law to ensure smoke (and carbon monoxide alarms are installed (where a gas appliance or flue is installed), before letting their home.

We will visit your home every year to test your smoke alarm (and carbon monoxide alarms where installed) but it’s really important to test your alarm weekly to make sure it’s working.  

If it’s working correctly, the alarm will sound for 10 to 20 seconds then stop.  

It’s also a good idea, if you’re able, to dust the alarm once a month to make sure to wipe away any cobwebs or dust that might stop it from working properly.  

If you think your fire detector is broken or it starts to 'beep' (this means the backup battery needs replacing), you should contact us

Keeping communal areas tidy and safe

It’s really important that communal areas, such as corridors, stairwells and lounges, are kept clear of any personal items at all times so that, in the event of an emergency, everyone can get out as quickly and safely as possible.

This also helps the emergency services to get in as quickly as possible without any obstructions or trip hazards. 

Fire entrance doors in flats

Fire doors, which are fitted in most flats, can prevent smoke, heat and fire from spreading between properties. Flat entrance fire doors normally provide between 30- 60 minutes protection, as long as they are well maintained, in good condition and have not been modified in anyway. 

You can help us to make sure fire doors do their job by: 

  • Not tampering with the closing device (found either overhead or inside the door) 
  • Not changing your door without telling us about it first
  • Not installing additional locks, chains or viewers to the door which could prevent a fast entry by the emergency services or affect their ability to prevent fire and smoke spreading
  • Not changing the locks without telling us
  • Not installing any extra security gates
  • Reporting any repairs to your door such as damaged frames, letterboxes, hinges etc.  If your door is damaged, does not self-close, or you have concerns over its condition, contact us. Customer enquiries (stonewater.org)

If you live in a flat, you may not have a fire door if:

  • you access your flat directly from the street
  • it is on the ground floor and you don't walk through an enclosed building entrance area to reach it
  • you live in a purpose-built block of flats and access your home from an open balcony walkway, and on leaving your home you can turn left or right to reach a staircase or exit door. 

Leaseholders and shared owners should check their lease to confirm if their flat entrance door is their responsibility or Stonewater's. If so, then you are legally required to ensure the door meets the required fire and security performance standards, and for ensuring the door is kept in a good condition and well maintained. 

We undertake regular inspections of flat entrance doors in buildings of four storeys or more (irrespective of ownership) and we’ll contact you if we think your door does not meet the required standard and advise you of how we can help.

More ways to stay safe

Barbecues

Customers living in blocks of flats are not permitted to use barbecues inside their homes, including on balconies or roof terraces. We also don’t allow the storage and use of gas canisters in our homes (i.e. Calor gas) as these can be extremely dangerous.  

If your flat has a private garden, you can use wood or charcoal fuelled barbecues, but we ask that you take every precaution to make this as safe as possible for you and your neighbours. 
 
For barbecue safety tips, visit London Fire Brigade.

Bonfires and fireworks

Bonfires and firework display can be extremely dangerous, and are not allowed on Stonewater estates.

For everyone’s safety, we recommend that you only attend organised firework displays run by experienced professionals.  If you have a private garden, take a look at these tips for safe firework handling from London Fire Brigade.

Cooking

Other than smoking, cooking is one of the most common causes of fires in the home. 

There are lots of ways to stay safe while cooking. Take a look at these tips from London Fire Brigade.

Electrical items

There have been many major fires caused by electrical appliance over recent years, most notably the Grenfell fire in 2017. 

Manufacturers regularly recall products for safety issues. You can check for product recall updates on the Government’s website

You can also keep up to date with product recall and safety notices by registering your electrical appliances directly with the manufacturer (details supplied when you purchase) or visit Register my Appliance.

Some electrical heaters can be an efficient way to heat individual rooms, with some using less power, making them cheaper to run. However, they can become a fire hazard if not used safely. The London Fire Brigade has some advice on using heating appliance safely.

For advice on heating your home efficiently and support with your energy bills, visit our energy hub.

For more information on electrical safety, visit our electrical safety page.

Smoking

Smoking is a major cause of fire in homes. 

Smoking is not allowed in any communal areas of any of our buildings.

For safety tips and advice on staying safe if you smoke cigarettes or vape, take a look at this advice from London Fire Brigade.

Candles

Candles, tea lights and incense burners, like any open flame, can be dangerous if left unattended, which is why we don’t allow them to be used in communal areas. 

If you’re using them in your own home, here’s how you can stay safe.

Celebrations

Celebrating birthdays and religious festivals can often mean that we put up lots of extra lights to decorate our homes and communities. 

Here’s our top tips for making sure that celebrations are remembered for the right reasons: 

  • Check that any lights carry the British Safety Standard sign.
  • Paper decorations can burn easily, so don’t attach them to lights or heaters
  • Never place candles, tea lights or incense burners near fabrics or decoration that can catch light easily.
  • Keep candles, lighters and matches out of children’s reach.
  • Never leave burning candles unattended.
  • Never overload electrical sockets.
  • Always switch fairy lights off and unplug then before going to bed.
  • Most fires start in the kitchen, so avoid leaving cooking unattended.
  • Avoid cooking if you have been drinking alcohol
  • Make sure your family and visitors now how to escape in an emergency.
  • Make sure cigarettes are stubbed out properly.

Temporary structures such as Sukkahs can also be extremely hazardous, so we ask that customers don’t put these up on balconies or in communal areas, and keep any decorations within your home. 

Sleeping safe

Most major house fire regularly occur at night when people are asleep, so you should carry out some fire safety checks before you go to bed. 

One of the simplest things you can do is to test your smoke alarm, as this could save your life in the event of a fire in your home. 

For more information on safety checks, visit London Fire Brigade.  

Report a safety concern

If you’re worried about electrical safety or have other building safety concerns, please contact us at buildingsafety@stonewater.org