Nearly half (46 per cent) of homes in the UK do not have basic fire protection such as smoke alarms, according to research by Halifax Home Insurance .
Further, 17 per cent do not have any home contents cover should the worst happen. Halifax received 2,000 claims last year for fire damage, resulting in a £19 million repair bill. The average cost of fire damage in 2008 was £8,000.
Many people are failing to take basic fire safety measures, with less than ten per cent checking to see if they have extinguished a naked flame before leaving the room and only three per cent making sure that electrical appliances are working properly.
Senior claims manager Martin Foulds said people should take time to consider the dangers. He added: “With around 200 fires happening every day in the UK, it is worrying to see people are still not adequately protecting themselves.”