Balcony fire safety

A significant number of balcony fires start from the unsafe disposal of smoking materials and the misuse of barbecues.

If you live in a home with a balcony, you should keep it clear. If a fire breaks out on your balcony, it could spread much faster than a fire inside your building.

Inside buildings, there are walls and doors that can contain a fire, and a limited supply of oxygen to keep the fire burning, but outside there’s an unlimited supply of oxygen and a fire can quickly be blown by the wind, spreading it upwards and outwards. 

This puts balconies or flats above you at risk.

However, there are simple steps you can take to keep you, your family and your neighbours safe.

• Do not use barbecues on your balcony – they pose a fire risk, and falling embers could set light to balconies below you.
• Do not store gas cylinders on your balcony – there is a risk they may explode.
• Do not drop cigarettes over the side of your balcony – they could cause a fire on a balcony below you. Use an ashtray instead.
• Do not store any items on your balcony that might catch fire. If a fire does break out on your balcony, it has a bigger risk of spreading if you have flammable items nearby.
• Ideally, we’d recommend you keep your balcony completely clear, but we understand that might not be practical for everybody. Although they do present a small fire risk, you can keep plants and garden furniture there. Just make sure you keep other risks around them to a minimum.
• The fire and rescue services also advise residents to avoid storing combustible materials, smoking and barbecuing on balconies because these can all help fires spread rapidly. 

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