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Candles and fairy lights may encapsulate Christmas for many of us, but for Norfolk fire-fighters, they mean an added hazard in the home.

To try and inform people of the dangers at Christmas time, Norfolk Fire Service have given BBC Norfolk some top tips on how to stay safe over the festive period.

Smoke detectors

Despite numerous campaigns to make sure our homes are fitted with smoke detectors, the fire service say they found a working detector in only a quarter of all homes they were called to.

It's very important to have smoke detectors fitted and working. It's also vital, particularly at Christmas, that you don't tamper with the detector.

"However tempting it may be to put a battery from the smoke detector into a remote-controlled car, they're in that smoke detector for a reason and we need to make sure they stay in there," said Steve Chadbon, local risk manager for the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service in Norwich.

Norfolk Fire Service suggest that you should use a smoke detector with a fixed battery.

The battery should last up to ten years and because you can't it out of the detector, the temptation to tamper is removed.

Smoke detectors should be checked weekly by pressing the button in the middle or corner of the smoke alarm to make sure it works..

"There's no need to do anything like lighting a candle underneath and blowing it out or anything like that. Every six months or so, vacuum the detector to get rid of any dust that might have built," said Steve.

Fairylights

The important thing with Christmas lights is to ensure they conform to the appropriate British standard.

It's important that you don't overload sockets too. The general rule is one plug to one socket. If you do need to use an extension adaptor, which people often do, the type Norfolk Fire Service recommends is a four-way gang, which has a separate fuse.

If something does go wrong, it's got a separate fuse that will blow.

Candles

"Candles can obviously be a major cause of fire and there have been tragedies over the past few years when people have been using candles.

"It's highly fashionable at the moment to light candles around the house. People just need to make sure they use them safely and they're not near anything combustible," said Steve.

It's worth checking nearby to make sure nothing can fall on the naked flame, particularly trimmings taped to the wall.

Drink

It wouldn't be Christmas without a drink or two, but Steve warns that deciding on a fry-up in the early hours of the morning after a heavy drinking session is a bad idea.

It's too easy to fall asleep and forget about that pan on the stove.

Home service

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service provides free home fire risk checks to people in the county.

"They'll also give advice about an escape plan and if you were to have a fire, they'll explain how you can escape properly and how you could stay in the room safely until rescued by the fire brigade.

"If necessary, we can also supply and fit smoke alarms - one upstairs and one downstairs free of charge.

"We can also supply a special smoke alarm for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, which has a strobe light and a pad that goes under the pillow at night that will wake people up," said Steve.

For more information visit: www.norfolkfireservice.gov.uk or phone 0800 917 8137.