Omagh fire tragedy - Precautions will reduce fire risks

YESTERDAY morning’s dreadful fire in Omagh, in which seven members of the McElhill family lost their lives, reminded us of our responsibilities to take all of the precautions we can to make our homes as safe as they can be in the event of a potentially lethal fire.

As the McElhill tragedy illustrates, a fire in a house — one just like tens of thousands of others across the country — while a family is sleeping is an extremely dangerous and often fatal situation.

There are many precautions that can be taken to try to minimise the risk. Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers can be added to any building — not just a home — and building regulations encourage the use of materials that offer a degree of resistance to fire. However, being aware of what is going on in a house and the potential danger points is just as important.

In the next few weeks, dusty sets of Christmas lights will be taken from attics. Each and every year there are fires caused by faulty Christmas lights, so exercise caution: replace them rather than risk a fire.

Theses precautions should not be limited to your own home: you may know an elderly neighbour or relative who would appreciate help in the easy task of installing smoke alarms or other safety devices.

A tragedy on the scale of yesterday’s fire is heartbreaking and it will stay with those close to it for the rest of their lives.

No one should ever have to cope with that anguish but doing so, knowing that you did not take basic precautions to try to prevent it, would be intolerable.