PEOPLE who think their homes are safe from fire had better think again.

For even the most fire safety conscious people can learn from the free home checks carried out by firefighters.

And they only take a few minutes to do.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service aims to carry out 36,000 home risk assessments every year in a bid to reduce the number of fire deaths and injuries.

Clearly it is vital that all homes have at least one smoke detector on each floor - one in the hallway and another on the upstairs landing.

But firefighters look for other potential fire hazards and give people vital information about how they should plan an escape route if the worst should happen and a fire breaks out.

Huddersfield's new fire station manager, 44-year-old Phil Langdale, said: "There is a lot to think about and whenever we go to a house there will be something we spot which can improve the fire safety even further.

"Can you put your hands on the keys to all your doors - front, back and patio - in an instant so you can escape no matter where in the house the fire is.

"Does your family know what to do if a the smoke alarm goes off?

"The worst thing must be when this happens at 2.30 in the morning and you don't know where your family is in the house and where your keys are.

"It will be too late then. You need to think about that now and plan ahead.

"A few minutes preparing now could be so important later."

He added: "Smoke detectors are brilliant. They give an early warning about a fire and people get those vital minutes to react and escape.

"But we also look at the things that can cause the fire in the first place."

One simple way to stop fires spreading is to make sure every door is shut. A closed door can hold a fire back for 20 minutes.

"Smoke is the killer," said Station Manager Langdale. "A closed door will stop it spreading and an alarm will pick up the slightest trace of smoke.

"The vast majority of fires are preventable."

Typical house fires in Huddersfield are caused by chip pans or other pans left unattended, candles burning down or falling over, children playing with lighters or matches, cigarettes not properly extinguished and clothes left too close to gas fires or electric heaters to dry.

The home safety check will also look at sockets and firefighters can give advice on which kind of fuses should be used with which electrical appliance.

They also give information about smoke alarms for deaf people, including vibrating pads under pillows at night and flashing lights in the day.

Firefighters are particularly keen to target the over-60s, but will do safety checks at any home.

The checks take between 10 minutes and half-an-hour. To book one freephone 0800 587 4536 or ring your nearest fire station: Huddersfield 532223; Slaithwaite 842618; Brighouse 714992; Elland 01422 372862; or Dewsbury 01924 465601.