The senior firefighter for the Western Isles has urged residents to have their houses checked after two recent fire deaths.
William Hanks and Morag Ann Macdonald, both in their 80s, were killed in separate house fires in South Uist within a week in February.
Local Senior Officer Fraser Burr addressed a Western Isles Council scrutiny committee yesterday – and used the opportunity to urge residents to book a free home fire safety visit to prevent accidental blazes.
A quarterly performance report produced by the fire service revealed a total of 149 visits were carried out by firefighters on the islands between July and December.
Of this, 74% were delivered at homes of some of the most vulnerable people in need of assistance.
Mr Burr said: “Home fire safety visits help reduce casualty numbers through early detection and intervention.
“They play an important role in improving fire safety at home and ultimately help protect our communities from harm.
“Sadly, two people recently lost their lives on South Uist and the thoughts of everyone at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service remain with their loved ones at this most difficult time.
“We are determined to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future and we will continue to work closely with our partners to identify those who are most vulnerable from fire to ensure appropriate risk reduction measures are in place.
“I urge anyone with an elderly relative, neighbour or friend who may benefit from this support to contact us directly so that we can identify potential risks and offer guidance on what to do in the event of an emergency.”
Mr Burr also revealed that the number of occasions fire crews were called to “special service” incidents such as road accidents, flooding and industrial accidents is the lowest it has been in five years.
Crews were only called to 11 over the reporting period between July and December.
However, he highlighted that recruitment of retained firefighters in the Western Isles remains challenging.
He said: “Recruiting in many rural parts of Scotland continues to be a challenge but one we are determined to meet head-on.
“Joining the SFRS is an opportunity to learn new skills and broaden horizons whilst bringing tremendous benefits to local communities.”