BE a bright spark – don’t let a fire ruin your Christmas in the UK’s most common month for blazes.

Gloucestershire firefighters are reminding people of fire-safety during the festive season.

The county’s fire and rescue service have offered simple advice to help people stay safe and ensure they remember the period for all the right reasons.

Fire Kills statistics show that an accidental fire in the home in England is more likely to happen in December than any other month.

National figures show that during December, 20 people a day are either killed or injured in accidental fires in the home. Last year there were around 2,700 accidental house fires.

While fire safety is important throughout the year, the extra distractions and activity around Christmas such as additional cooking, drinking more and using extra heating are reasons to be extra vigilant during the festive season.

Chimney fires are also prevalent at this time of year and GFRS firefighters attended 17 chimney fires in November, with the majority in Stroud and the Cotswolds.

Chief fire officer Stewart Edgar said: “As wonderful as Christmas is, we know it also brings extra fire risk because of the use of candles, fairy lights on Christmas trees and decorations.

“So please take extra care to keep loved ones safe from fire. From everyone at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service we wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas.”

Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “Christmas can be a busy time for many people, but it can be a busy time for fire crews as well.

“We want to make sure that local people do everything they can to stay safe and have a very happy Christmas.”

Here are some tips for enjoy Christmas safely:

• Ensure you have working smoke alarms on all levels of your home and test them weekly

• Never leave cooking unattended

• Never leave burning candles unattended

• Ensure your cigarette is fully out before discarding

• Don’t overload sockets

• Switch off fairy lights when you go to bed

• Ensure everyone in your house knows what to do in the event of a fire – get out, stay out and call 999.

For more information on the Fire Kills campaign visit www.facebook.com/firekills or watch the short Fire Kills Christmas Tree video at http://youtu.be/hMtjGfr0tYs.