Burning Christmas trees, cooking, and e-bikes - the festive dangers in our home

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Greater Manchester had the second highest number of fire incidents in the country last Christmas. Figures from the Home Office and a Freedom of Information request reveal the region had 72 over the festive season.

In the last seven years in Greater Manchester, 29 Christmas trees have caught fire and 30 callouts involved Xmas cooking. The figures have prompted a fire chief to issue a new safety warning for the Xmas and New Year holidays.

A candle set fire to a Christmas tree in Bury leaving a family homeless. Carlos Meakin, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Director of Prevention and Protection, said: “Christmas is an extremely busy time of year for our firefighters.

As the second-largest fire service in the country, we respond to a high number of calls over the festive period. “During this time, people can help to keep themselves and their families safe with a few basic safety tips including not overloading plug sockets, taking care with candles and keeping a close eye on their cooking. "E-bikes and e-scooters are a popular gift, and in recent years we have seen a significant rise in the number of fires involving their batteries.