Firefighters urge the public to take extra care on their travels as snow moves in (From Surrey Comet)

Firefighters urge the public to take extra care on their travels as snow moves in

10:45am Saturday 4th February 2012 in Wimbledon By Hannah Williamson

With snow expected across London tonight, fire chiefs are urging people to take extra care on their travels this weekend.

Firefighters across the capital are on standby to undertake water rescues if people get stuck on icy lakes and to tackle any blazes caused by people going to extreme lengths to keep warm.

To help prevent people from being seriously injured, or worse if they fall through ice in frozen ponds and lakes, the crews are equipped with emergency rescue boats, inflatable rescue paths, mud lances, thermal clothing and dry suits.

But fire chiefs are also urging people to be careful in how they go about heating their homes during the cold spell.

Earlier this week a man was taken to hospital with burns and smoke inhalation after a fire was caused by his electric heater being left too close to his bed.

Top tips recommended by the fire brigade include, ensuring pipes in your home are properly lagged, in order to reduce the risk of flooding caused by frozen pipes.

Make sure heaters and fires are kept away from flammable items like curtains or bedding, driving carefully on icy roads and staying well away from frozen ponds and lakes.

Dave Brown, the Brigade's Assistant Commissioner for Operations and Mobilising, said: "When freezing weather strikes, people often put themselves in dangerous situations.

"If you think wandering onto a frozen pond is a good idea, it's not. You run the risk of hypothermia, or even worse.

"If you used heaters or fires in your home, please be extra careful. We've recently heard of people putting heaters and hair-dryers in their beds to stay warm and this is a disaster waiting to happen."