The UK government has relaunched its Fire Kills campaign to warn people about the risks of everyday fires and to help more households stay safe.

It revealed that, in the year ending June 2019, 215 people had lost their lives due to a fire at their home. In many cases, taking simple steps could have saved their lives.

For example, did you know that you’re eight times more likely to die of a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm in your property? Having a working smoke alarm is just one of the recommendations. Other things you should consider is how you and your family would get out of your home in the event of a fire.

If you live in a house with multiple floors, or in a flat, think about how you’d escape if you were trapped on one of the upper levels during a fire. Investing in a fire escape rope ladder could be a simple way to give you and your family a safe way to get out of your home if there is a fire on the ground floor.

According to the government, the most common cause of residential fires in the UK is cooking, with other causes including faulty electrics, smoking and candles.

Propertymark is also backing the Fire Kills campaign and urging all landlords to ensure that any properties they rent are fitted with the appropriate fire equipment.

It pointed out that landlords are legally required to install smoke alarms on every floor of any property they rent out as living accommodation. You should also make sure that they’re regularly tested, after 23 per cent of people revealed that they never test their smoke alarms.