Celebrate Diwali safely

The festival of Diwali takes place every year this year it falls on Saturday 14 November. It is known as 'Festival of the Lights' as it is believed that light signifies goodness and 'diyas', or oil lamps, and candles are burnt throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil. Fireworks are also used in the celebrations. This could therefore mean that there is an increased risk of fire.

Taking a few simple precautions will reduce the risks for yourself and your family.

Firstly, please ensure that you have a working smoke alarm installed on every floor of your home. If there is a fire, a smoke alarm will immediately warn you, giving you and everyone in your home time to escape to safety.

Oil lamp and candle safety

Always place oil lamps and candles firmly in a proper holder so they don't fall over and on a heat resistant surface
Put out candles and lamps before you leave a room and before you go to bed
Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets
Keep candles away from ribbons, greetings cards and other decorations - these could easily catch fire
Keep candles out of draughts and away from curtains, other fabrics or furniture, which could catch fire
Keep candles away from clothes and hair - if there's any chance you could forget a candle is there and lean across it, put it somewhere else.
Consider using battery operated tea lights instead of traditional candles. Battery operated tea lights often contain a button cell battery these can be very dangerous so keep away from children.

Firework safety

Fireworks are fun but they should be used in a safe and sensible way. Please read our safety advice.

Resources

Documents

Bonfire and firework safety leaflet