Smoking targeted in fire safety week

The dangers of smoking in the home and the importance of having working smoke alarms installed will be the key messages promoted during National Fire Safety Week.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will host the 15th annual all-island initiative from Monday next, in association with the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and locally with Clare County Fire & Rescue Service.

“Smoking at Home Can Cause Fatal Fires”, is the theme of this year’s event, which takes into account the significant number of domestic fires started each year as a result of burning cigarettes.

“Unfortunately on average 36 people die in Ireland each year as a result of fire. House fires account for the vast majority of these fires,” said Adrian Kelly, Clare Chief Fire Officer.

“The cause of these fires ranged from heavily sooted and blocked chimneys, smoking in the home, burning rubbish, electrical faults and most alarmingly from children playing with matches or candles. The risk of these fires occurring could be eliminated with the first and most important step being for the public to ensure they have a working smoke alarm in their home,” he added.

The warning to householders in in the event of a fire is quite clear – Get Out, Stay Out And Call the Fire Brigade Out. The phone number to call out the Fire Service is 999/112.