Have home insurance in place in case of fire

National Fire Safety Week this week once again draws the attention of homeowners to protection against fire.

Halifax Home Insurance wants Britons to heed fire experts' advice to check fire hazards around the home and to be aware of necessary safety precautions.

And with the national fire service attending to 63,000 household fires in 2003 – which is only an estimated fifth of all home fires – home insurance becomes even more important.

According to the home insurance provider's senior underwriter Vicky Emmott, Halifax Home Insurance received more than 4,000 claims for damage caused by fire.

Of these cases, 61 per cent were accidents that got started by forgotten candles, sparks from open fires, or cigarettes that hadn’t been extinguished properly. Ms Emmott noted that these fires could have been avoided if the necessary precautions were taken.

But 19 million people are still unprepared for fires in their homes, Halifax Home Insurance revealed.

It's vital that people take heed of the advice of fire specialists during National Fire Safety Week and take the time to prevent and prepare, Ms Emmott urged.

Halifax Home Insurance paid out £23 million for insurance claims resulting from fires.