Changing Seasons: Pet Proof Your Home Against Fire Emergencies

The nation’s fire services rescue thousands of animals every year. In fact, the London Fire Brigade alone responds to almost 1,000 animals in distress1. As we head into the cooler months, the threat of fire increases in the guise of home comforts and Autumn warmers such as wood-burners, flickering candles, and fairy lights.

When it comes to preparing for worst case scenarios, it’s important to include our furry family members in fire safety plans. Though the first port of call is to find ways to prevent pets from triggering any fires in the first place. Agria Pet Insurance shares some top tips for pet owners on fire safety and emergency planning.

Pet-Proofing and Preventing Fires

1. Avoid putting glass bowls on wooden surfaces. The rays of the Autumn sun low in the sky can heat these materials to the point of causing a fire. Instead, opt for ceramic bowls and ensure any glass bowls are kept out of sunlight.

2. Never leave an open flame unattended. As lovely as it is to light candles, it’s important to not leave these unattended where your pet could potentially knock them over. The same applies to any other open flames you may have in your house;

including on your fireplace or cooking stoves. A fire guard is recommended for open flames and consider keeping pets away from the kitchen when cooking stoves are on.

3. Check your home for loose wires. Anything electrical could lead to a fire, so a simple way to prevent this is to ensure wires and electrical appliances are tidied away and kept out of reach of pets. It’s important that items are not left charging where pets can access cables and heated hair tools should be kept where they cannot be knocked from heat mats. If it’s not possible to tidy everything away, ensure pets are supervised when near any electrical appliances.

Rescue Ready and Protecting Pets

1. Microchip your pet. Fires can be very scary experiences for pets, and many might get overwhelmed and bolt when it happens. Therefore, getting them chipped means they can be found much more easily and ensure details are kept up to date if you move house!

2. Avoid locking pets in a room without an easy escape. It’s best to avoid locking your pets in a room at all. However, if this is not possible and if you do keep your pets in a particular room in the house, ensure that the room is close by to an accessible door so that pets don’t get trapped. Make sure exits are kept clear and consider preparing a pet fire safety escape plan.

3. Showcase a pet alert sticker. In case of a fire when you are not home, many organisations advise to put a pet alert sticker on one of your windows outlining how many pets you have and where they are likely to be located in the house. This will help firefighters when trying to save your pets.

4. Install smoke detectors. It might seem simple, but installing smoke detectors ensures that fires are recognised as early as possible, increasing your chances of leading your pet to safety. Once installed, ensure to test your alarms at least monthly, but preferably weekly.

For more information and for expert advice to keep your pet happy and healthy, please visit: www.agriapet.co.uk.

ENDS

References 1London Fire Brigade. Animal Rescue. Media Enquiries: Contact agria@gold79.co.uk

About Agria Pet Insurance Agria is one of the world’s leading animal insurers, specialising in small animal and equine insurance. Founded in Sweden over 130 years ago, Agria began underwriting policies in the UK in 2009 and is now a prominent part of the UK pet insurance sector.

In the UK, Agria works with over 50,000 vets, breeders and rehoming organisations, providing insurance for cats, dogs, and rabbits. Agria also administers pet insurance schemes for the leading small animal registration bodies, The Kennel Club, and the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF).

Agria has been awarded a Which? Best Buy for Dog Insurance and a Which? Best Buy for Cat Insurance for their Lifetime Premium insurance products, and is named Best Overall Pet Insurance provider by The Telegraph 2024. For more information, see www.agriapet.co.uk / https://www.instagram.com/agriapetinsurance / https://www.facebook.com/agriapetuk