Accidental house fires in Angus fall by more than half in one year
Fire crews have been trying to stamp out the problem, by offering homeowners better advice.
Last updated 22nd Nov 2017
Firefighters have been doing more to drive down the number of accidental house fires in Angus, by making sure to carry out proper home safety checks.
In the last six months, crews have checked out 800 properties, and are trying to make sure to reach vulnerable people like the elderly and those with disabilities, in particular.
The number of accidental blazes fell to 13 in 2017/18 - compared to 30 in 2016/17- The lowest number of accidental fires for the period in the past 5 years.
Local Senior Officer Colin Grieve welcomed the fall but said the SFRS was not complacent and remained committed to reducing the number of incidents even further.
He said: “Whilst I welcome the reduction in accidental dwelling fires, we are not complacent.
“Between April and September this year, firefighters carried out more than 800 Home Fire Safety Visits to help identify hazards as well as supply and install smoke detectors free of charge.
“We’re here to help everyone stay safe but we’re particularly keen to support the most vulnerable and elderly within our communities.
“That’s why we appeal to everyone to check if their elderly relatives, friends or neighbours are in need of this vital support - and to contact us directly.”
Latest figures also showed a reduction from six to two in fire casualties for the second quarter 2017/18 when compared to the same quarter 2016/17. The number of fire casualties are at their lowest for the past 5 years and is a direct result of the low number of accidental fires being experienced in Angus just now.
LSO Grieve said: “Our overall ambition is to have zero fire casualties throughout Scotland and the drop in casualty figures for this year in Angus shows we are moving in the right direction.
“This reduction has not been achieved by SFRS alone and thanks must go to the many partners including the Local Authority and Healthcare, who we work with on a regular basis to make the communities of Angus safer.”
To arrange a free Home Fire Safety visit contact SFRS on the freephone number 0800 073 1999, by texting ‘FIRE’ to 80800 or by filling in a form at www.firescotland.gov.uk