Fire Safety is an important element of safety in your home with Wigan Council and we work closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and you as tenants to minimise any risk and impact of fire in your homes.
Who is responsible for fire safety?
We all have a part to play in managing safety and keeping our homes safe.
If your home has a communal area such as a flat or sheltered accommodation, Wigan Council will carry out regular fire safety assessments on these communal spaces.
As a tenant you have a responsibility to look after your home and behave in a way which will not increase the risk of fire or damage to your home.
Wigan Council Responsibility: As a Landlord we must
- Ensure furnishings (where they are provided) are fire resistant and meet safety regulations
- Make sure any appliances (where provided) are kept in a safe condition
- Arrange an annual gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer (where there is a gas supply to the property)
- Arrange an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every five years
- Provide safety certificates to prove when gas and electric appliances were last checked and next due for safety checks
- Ensure there are adequate escape routes from the property
- Ensure the property is free from dangerous fire hazards.
Tenant Responsibility: As a tenant you must
- Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms periodically to check they are working correctly
- Report anything you see that could pose a danger to fire or building structural safety
- Keep communal areas and stairwells free from items that could block escape from the building in an emergency
- Allow Wigan Council access to your home as required under the Building Safety Act and the Fire Safety Act
- Ensure anyone in your household who requires help to evacuate is identified to Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
If you live in a high rise block or communal building, some of this advice may vary, so please refer to the separate High-rise fire safety information (external link).
- If there is a fire in your home – you must get out quickly and call 999 – don’t try to tackle the fire yourself, and never go back into a building that is on fire
- Keep calm and act quickly – tell everyone in your home and get out by your nearest exit, staying together where possible
DO NOT waste time collecting valuables, every second counts
- Before opening a door, check it first by using the back of your hand. If it’s warm, don’t open it
- When leaving your home, remember to shut doors behind you to help contain the fire.
What to do if your escape route is blocked
If your escape route is blocked and you can’t safely get out through a window, call 999 and find a room to wait in until the fire service arrive.
- Open a window in the room and put bedding or towels etc around the bottom of the door to block out the smoke
- If smoke starts to come into the room – keep low to the floor as this is where the air will be the cleanest.
Once you’ve escaped
Don’t go back inside your home, even if there is someone left inside. Wait for the fire service, and when they arrive, give them as much information as you can.
What is a Home Fire Safety Assessment?
A Home Fire Safety Assessment (HFSA) (external link) is a free visit to your home by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. During the visit they will provide fire safety advice and equipment depending on risk. They will need to talk to you about your health, home environment and your daily activities in order to understand your fire risk and provide the best advice for you.
High Rise and Communal Living Safety
Living in a high-rise block or communal building, doesn’t mean you are any more at risk from fire, but it does mean you need to consider your fire safety and the impact a fire in your home could have on yourself and other residents.
It’s important to understand what to do in the event of a fire, whether it’s in your flat or somewhere else in the building.
How to Stay Safe in the Event of a Fire/ How to Report a Fire
The evacuation strategy for your building is ‘Stay Safe’. You may also hear this called a Stay Put policy. This means that if there is a fire in your flat you should leave the flat and the building. If there is a fire somewhere else in the building, you can remain in your flat and do not need to leave the building unless told to do so.
If the fire is in your flat, then leave immediately and do not stop to collect personal belongings and ensure your front door is closed securely behind you. Do not return until told to do so. If you have a mobile phone to hand, take this with you to contact the emergency services. When you are safe dial 999 and ask for the fire service. Do not try to put the fire out yourself, you could get injured – raise the alert!
If the fire is not in your flat, stay inside and ensure your front door is fully closed. Your building has a Stay Put policy and you should stay in your flat unless advised by the fire service to evacuate. Dial 999 and report the fire to emergency services.
Did you know?
That most high-rise flats are built to delay the spread of fire for up to an hour.
Your building has been designed and built with fire safety in mind.
Lift Access
Never use the lift when evacuating the building. The fire may cause a power failure, trapping you inside.
Emergency Access
Never block emergency access to your building. The fire service needs to get as close as possible to the entrance.
Keep all landings, corridors and doorways clear of obstructions, including rubbish.
Never wedge communal doors open.
Fire Doors
Your flat entrance and communal doors would prevent the spread of fire for a minimum of 1 hour. Remember to always close fire doors and never prop fire doors open.
Do not make any alterations to fire doors, including adding additional locks, spy holes etc.
Firefighting Equipment
Dry or wet riser pipes run internally through the high-rise block and are usually painted red. The pipes provide water to higher floors to tackle fires. It is important that any damage to this equipment is reported as soon as you see it.
Access your Building Safety Information
Your building has a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) which helps identify potential risks
and improve fire safety measures to protect people. Tenants have the right to access the Fire Risk Assessment for their building.
You can access a copy by completing our online enquiry form.
Some Fire Risk Assessments carry photographs of the building and specific flats, this part of the assessment will not be released on an enquiry for the FRA as this breaches GDPR regulations.