The severity of fires in Fife decreased between April and December 2015, with the number of fatalities and casualties falling by 49%.
This is despite actually attending 5% more accidental home fire in the same period.
It is thought this reduction is due to firefighters carrying out 5,480 home safety visits in the Kingdom of Fife. This is where they can teach people how to react should a fire break out, and fitting smoke detectors.
Steven Michie, group manager for prevention and protection in Fife, said: “We continue to work with our partners to ensure those who are most at risk or vulnerable from fire or harm in the home are identified and that appropriate risk reduction measures are put in place.”
“The delivery of home fire safety visits are crucial in helping to reduce the number of accidental dwelling fires.”
There has also been a reduction in the number of deliberate fires. Overall, 23 casualties and one death were still recorded, which is a welcomed reduction.
But Mr. Michie said: “The SFRS vision is to have no fire fatalities or casualties throughout Scotland”.
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Our Thoughts
The main purpose of home fire safety visits is to give advice. These include not leaving cooking unattended, planning fire escape routes, as well as testing and maintaining smoke detectors.
These help to ensure people are prepared should the worse ever happen.
Unfortunately, we always think that it’ll never happen to us. But the truth is, it could easily happen to anyone. And that’s why every home needs to have provisions in place.
You need to have at least one smoke alarm on every floor of your home. And you need to ensure you’re placing them appropriately. This means heat alarms in the kitchen and garage, with smoke alarms everywhere else besides the bathroom.
It’s vital you keep all types of alarm in good working order, which is why you should carry out weekly testing. Unless you have a long-life alarm, the batteries also need replacing every six months.
The kitchen is the area where most fires break out. So make sure that when cooking, you’re giving it your full attention. That way, you’re on hand to quickly react should something actually go wrong.
And for those moments, a fire blanket is handy to have nearby so you can smother a small fire and starve it of oxygen. And likewise, a small extinguisher, such as the Tundra, will also allow you to safely put out most small fires to prevent it spreading.
But having an emergency escape route, which everyone is familiar with, could make the difference between life and death. When everyone knows what they need to do, they save precious seconds by not panicking. That’s why it’s also a good idea to practice it from time to time.
Your main route will be the usual route to exit as it is what everyone is most used to. But it never hurts to also have a Plan B.
A fire escape ladder provides your family with a safe means of exit should you find yourself trapped upstairs.
These are just a few ways you can prevent and protect against fire.
Should you feel you need more advice, you can contact your local fire service to arrange a free home fire safety visit.