“Get out, stay out” for house fire

WITH Christmas being a high-risk period for fires and accidents in the home, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service have issued a warning in respect of safety measures.
In the event of a fire in your home, Clare Chief Fire Officer, Adrian Kelly has warned, “Get out, stay out and call the fire brigade out”.  The fire service can be contacted by dialling 999/112.
The annual campaign comes as the Fire Service confirmed that brigades throughout Clare were mobilised to 44 incidents during the 2012 Christmas period, representing a third successive drop in festive fire callouts since 2009.
The call-out figures for the period December 20, 2012 to January 3, 2013 were less than those recorded during the corresponding periods in 2009, 2010 and 2011 when the fire service was mobilised to 81, 64 and 48 incidents respectively.
The majority of emergency call-outs were attended by Ennis Fire Brigade with 20, followed by Shannon at 13, Killaloe with three, Ennistymon three, Scarriff two, Kilrush two and Kilkee one.
Six of the call-outs related to chimney fires, down 18 from the previous year, while fire-fighters also attended 10 road-based incidents, two agricultural building fires, two storage building fires, one house fire, one outdoor rubbish fire and 11 false alarm incidents.
Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins has urged members of the public to familiarise themselves with the fire safety advice, which may be viewed on the Clare County Council website at www.clarecoco.ie.
According to Adrian Kelly, Clare Chief Fire Officer,  “Open fires are used for longer periods during the Christmas period as people spend a lot more time at home. Electrical items and extension leads are used more. Add in flammable decorations, candles and alcohol and it becomes apparent that the risks increase during the festive season.”