There was an almost 50% increase in the number of house fires in Northern Ireland last month, officials have said.
Statistics released by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) show that there were 101 accidental fires in homes throughout March.
During the same period in 2019, there were 68 accidental fires in the home - meaning there has been a 49% increase this year.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people have spent the majority of the last month in their homes.
The NIFRS said that cooking, electrical incidents, candles and matches have been the main causes of fire during this time.
There has been an increase of 33% in the number of cooking appliance-related fires compared to March 2019, and electricity supply-related and smoking related fires have also more than doubled during this time period.
The number of casualties of accidental fires in the home has also increased by 48% during this time.
Assistant chief fire and rescue officer Alan Walmsley, said: "We fully support the Northern Ireland Executive's advice to stay at home in order to beat Covid-19.
"As the community is spending most of their time indoors, there has been a sharp increase in the number of accidental fires in the home.
"The stark rise in accidental house fires last month, coupled with the pressures NIFRS is currently under due to the pandemic, means that we are calling on the community to make themselves aware of the potential causes of fire in the home - if you're cooking more, make sure you're not leaving it unattended, when using electrical devices, make sure to not overload your plug sockets.
"If using candles, make sure they are out fully before going to bed, never smoke in bed and always make sure when you're putting a cigarette out, that it is fully out."
