FIRE brigade station manager Carl Boasman says: "There are many things parents can do to make their homes safer.

"Keep matches and lighters out of reach and out of sight, keep candles well away from children and their clothing, use a child-proof fireguard and do not leave children playing unattended in a room where there is a fire or another heat source. Keep a smoke alarm on every level of your house.

"If the worst happens and clothing sets on fire, stop the child or person from running or fanning the flames, drop them to the ground and wrap them in a blanket, coat or rug, roll until the fire has been extinguished and then treat the burn."

The fire brigade offers a free home risk assessment in every home in North Yorkshire, and smoke alarms are part of that.

Call 01609-780150.

Dr Jeremy Henning, a doctor with the Great North Air Ambulance, issued advice on how to treat burns.

He said: "Do not put yourself at risk. Take off the clothing if it is burning or it is hot, but do not remove clothing that's stuck to the skin.

"Pour cool, not ice-cold, water over the burns, try ten minutes on, ten minutes off until help arrives. Do this so the body temperature does not drop too much.

"Do not put any creams or lotions on the burn and do not burst any blisters because that could introduce infection.

"Keep an eye on the person's airways, breathing and circulation because sometimes people have inhaled harmful gases."