People ‘must act to avoid fire risk’

FIRE safety legislation and regulations will not work if people don’t take personal prevention measures to avoid the risk of fire, it was claimed yesterday.

The chief executive of the National Safety Council, Pat Costello, issued a general warning about the increased dangers of domestic fires at Christmas. Although provisional figures suggest the number of fire-related deaths in 2003 will have fallen from last year’s total of 62, Mr Costello said many of the 43 deaths which had been documented so far this year up to Christmas were preventable.

“Prevention is the key and that should be everyone’s first priority,” he said.