Though the numbers have declined to record lows in recent years, there are still nearly a half a million fires in the UK each year. Most of these fires, about seventy-five percent, occur in the home, which is where 450 people lost their lives in blazes last year.

While most fire deaths can be attributed to smoking materials, the cause of most home fires is a heating source. This can be a fireplace, boiler, stove or space heater. No, these devices don't generally malfunction. In fact, if they are used correctly they are quite safe. Rather, it is human error and carelessness that is often responsible for home fires.

The number one cause of domestic fires is when someone leaves a flammable material in close proximity to a heat source. This could be a scarf on a lampshade, a sock next to a space heater or a newspaper near the fireplace. Hey, even a funeral director will see the financial impact can make a mistake.

The good news is that the fire fighters and rescue teams have had on the health of the nation by dramatically improving their response time, which is probably why fire deaths have fallen across the UK. The bad news is that of fire has never been higher.

According to a recent report, the UK spends one and a half billion pounds per annum on fire-related accidents. Perhaps that is why the government has invested in a series of new public service ads that focus on fire prevention in the home.