Staying safe in the great outdoors

Firefighters are calling on people to stay safe this summer while enjoying Cumbria's great outdoors.

Whether camping, cooking or exploring, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service say holidaymakers and daytrippers need to follow basic advice to avoid injury or worse.

The Fire Kills campaign has issued the following top tips for staying safe.

Tents

· Allow at least 6m spacing between tents and caravans and ensure they are away from parked cars to reduce the risk of fire spreading.

· Don’t smoke inside tents.

· Never use candles in or near a tent – torches are safer.

· Keep cooking appliances away from the tent walls and never cook inside a small tent or near flammable materials or long grass; they can all set alight easily.

· Make sure you know how to escape by cutting your way out of the tent if there’s a fire.

· Make sure everyone knows how to put out clothing that’s on fire – stop, drop and roll.

Caravans

· Fit and test a smoke alarm in your caravan.

· Take special care when cooking – don’t leave pans unattended.

· Turn off all appliances before you go out or go to bed.

· Make sure ashtrays are made of a material that can’t burn or topple over – never smoke in bed.

· Don’t dry clothes over the stove.

· Remove any litter and rubbish near the caravan to reduce the risk of fire spreading.

· Make sure the caravan is ventilated, and never block air vents, to avoid a build-up of poisonous gases.

Open Fires

If you must have an open fire:

· It should be downwind, at least 10m from the tent.

· Clear dry vegetation, leaves, etc, to form a circle of earth around the fire.

· Build a stack that will collapse inwards whilst burning.

· Do not leave fires unattended.

· Make sure that fires are fully extinguished after use.

Grass and forest fires spread rapidly

· Never throw cigarette ends out of a car window – they could start a fire and ruin surrounding countryside.

· Don’t leave bottles or glass in woodlands. Sunlight shining through glass can start a fire. Take them home or put them in a waste or recycling bin.