| Dear parish council,
We are contacting parish councils as we are trying to find ways of getting safety messages out to our communities. People may be affected by power cuts during Storm Ciarán. We are keen to reach as many people as possible with our fire safety advice.
If you’re in touch with anyone in your area who is experiencing power issues, please share our advice below. You can also find information on our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter/X, Threads and Instagram.
Power cut safety advice
If you are affected by a power cut, it is the Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO) who is responsible for maintaining physical electricity supplies to your home or business. You can contact your local DNO by calling 105.
If you need to light your home when you’re without power, we would prefer if you used torches and battery-powered candles rather than candles. If you must use candles, follow our candle safety advice.
Don’t try and cook using barbecues or using fires inside your home such as wood-burners.
Turn off any appliances that may be a fire risk if they switch on when the power comes back on (such as hair dryers or electric hobs).
If you’re using a portable heater such as oil or gas, keep it a good distance (at least 1 metre) from people or furniture. Do not cover them with anything that could catch fire such as clothing.
Storm Ciarán safety advice
We have more advice for staying safe during Storm Ciarán on our website.
If you need to get in touch with us, you can find contact details on our website.
Kind regards,
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service |