There are 50,000 house fires in Britain every year, nearly 140 a day, which can result not only in the distress of moving out and restoring your home and decor but, in some cases, in injury and even fatalities.

Now Halifax General Insurance, one of the UK's largest household insurers, has released figures which show that by far the biggest cause of fires in the home is simple accidents such as unattended candles or children playing with matches - and is urging people to take greater care in order to protect themselves and their property from fire hazards.

In 2003, 64% of all fire related insurance claims recorded by Halifax General Insurance were as a result of an accident. This includes incidents such as candles setting fire to furniture, hot coals falling from a fire and accidents whilst cooking, such as chip pan fires and flames from gas hobs.

A further 17% of fires were caused by electrical faults, 8% as a result of smoking and 10% were due to arson.

The total cost of fire damage claims made by Halifax customers in 2003 was a staggering £23.5 million an average of almost £5,000 of damage per incident.

But that average claim figure varies vastly across the UK, with Halifaxs figures reflecting something of a North-South divide. In what is traditionally seen as the affluent South East the claims are far larger, with the average claim in London coming in at £8,891, in Guildford at £9,384 and in Slough more than double the national average at £10,456.

But it is a different story in the North, with homeowners in Scotland, the North East and much of the North West and Midlands claiming much less. The average claim in Newcastle for example is just £1,742, in south west Scotland it is £2,329 and in North Cumbria it is £1,277.

Although your home insurance policy should cover you for the physical damage to your property, it is the serious danger to lives and the inconvenience and distress of the aftermath of a fire that should make people think twice about fire safety in the home.

Though many accidents are unforeseeable and unavoidable, taking some simple steps to ensure your home is less open to fire hazards can reduce the chances of a house fire or limit the damage caused considerably.

Howard Posner, CEO of Halifax General Insurance, said, “House fires bring misery to thousands of homes in the UK every year and pose a real risk to life as well as causing huge damage to property. Yet many of us are unaware of the hidden hazards that exist every day in our homes.”

“Many of the accidental causes of house fires could be avoided or their likelihood reduced by taking the time to assess your property and by following a few basic rules for fire prevention.”

HGI Fire Safety Advice:

• Make sure you have at least one correctly fitted smoke alarm and check it regularly.
• Agree a fire action plan and make everyone in the property aware of it so that everyone in your house knows how to escape in the event of fire .
• Ensure cigarettes are fully stubbed out and disposed of carefully.
• Keep clothing away from heating appliances.
• Take care in the kitchen especially when cooking with hot oil. Accidents whilst cooking account for more than half of all fires in the home.
• Take special care when you are tired or when you've been drinking. Half of all deaths in domestic fires happen during the late evening and overnight.
• According to government figures fires started by cigarettes kill more than any other.

• Never smoke in bed.
• Always use a proper ashtray and make sure that it cant be knocked over.
• Make sure your cigarette is fully extinguished when you stub it out.
• Never leave a lit cigarette lying around.
• Keep matches and lighters away from children and out of their reach.

• Always place candles on a heat resistant surface.
• Use a proper candle holder so the candle is held firmly upright and wont fall over.
• Don’t position candles near curtains or other soft furnishings or where people are likely to have to lean over them.
• Don’t place candles under shelves as they can burn the surface.
• Never leave candles burning if you leave a room or go to sleep.
• Keep candles at least 4 inches (10cm) from each other.
• Use a snuffer or spoon to put them out and double check they are right out.

• Check for overloaded sockets. You should fit one plug per socket unless you use a bar adapter on a lead.
• But don’t plug appliances into the adapter that collectively use more than 13 amps of current.
• Check for worn or damaged cables and leads and replace them.
• Check for signs of loose or problematic wiring hot plugs and sockets, flickering lights or fuses blowing for no clear reason are all indicators that there could be a problem.
• Check that lights and lamps aren’t positioned near curtains or other flammable materials.
• Check that all inflammable materials such as solvents or paraffin are stored safely away from children and direct sunlight or heat sources.