The four winter habits Cornwall’s firefighters want you to check

When did you last clean the lint out of your tumble dryer? If the honest answer is “not sure”, you’re the person this one is for.

As the weather turns colder and wetter, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is asking households not to cut corners on fire safety at home. Its advice comes down to four simple checks, most of which take minutes.

What Cornwall’s firefighters are asking you to do

The warnings from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service focus on the things that get used most once the heating goes on and the washing stops drying outside.

Get your boiler service up to date

If your boiler hasn’t been serviced recently, now is the time to book it in.

Keep clothes away from portable heaters

It’s tempting on a damp week. But the service is clear that you shouldn’t put clothes on, or near, a portable electric heater to dry them.

Have your chimney swept

If you have an open fire or a multifuel burner, make sure the chimney has been swept before you start relying on it.

Clean the tumble dryer lint filter every time

This is the one most people forget. The service says the lint holder should be cleaned after each use, because a build-up of lint can start fires.

The Winter Wellbeing booklet

For more ideas on looking after yourself and your home this year, the service is pointing people towards Cornwall Council’s Winter Wellbeing booklet, which can be downloaded free.

The 2026 to 2027 edition is billed as “Your Cornwall guide to Winter Wellbeing”, covering reducing fuel poverty, improving health and progress to work.

And tucked inside, on pages 37 to 44, is something you might not expect in a winter guide: the Summer Wellbeing ’27 edition.