FIREFIGHTERS are urging the public to take care of the coming months as the figures have revealed that more house fires take place during the Christmas period than at any time of the year.

The average amount of domestic fires attended by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue during the Christmas period – from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Eve – is higher than the average amount of incidents in the same period in every other month of the year.

Chris Tyler, group manager in the service’s community safety team, said: “We want Christmas to be the most wonderful time of the year for everyone in South Yorkshire.

“That’s why we’re urging people to check their homes ahead of the holidays.

“At a time when we enjoy spending time with friends and family, you don’t want fire to be an uninvited guest.

“As part of your festive preparations, make sure you’ve got smoke alarms in your home and test them.

“Ensure you keep Christmas trees away from heat sources. If they’re real, keep them well watered and if they’re artificial check that that they are made with fire retardant materials.

“Be careful not to overload sockets with Christmas lights and always turn them off when they’re not in use.

“Many house fires start in the kitchen so make sure that you’re keeping an eye on your turkey at all times.”

More safety information can be found on the fire service’s website.