The church should be inspected at the end of every day. Ladders should be put away under lock and key, so that they cannot be used by intruders. All hot works should be finished 3 hours before the end of the working day, and checked before leaving. Keep the vestry locked and do not hide the key in the church. Too often vestries, towers and odd corners of the church are filled with old books, wood, carpet and rags, all of which are good fuel to start a fire.
Portable heaters are a major fire risk.
Ideally gas heaters should not be used - the moisture they give off also damages the fabric of the church. However if they are used they should have a guard and should be kept at least three feet from anything which could catch fire. Paraffin and oil-fired heaters should never be used, even as a temporary measure. Have chimneys and flues swept and inspected each year. A fractured flue or dirty chimney is a real fire risk.