Scottish Fire and Rescue Service urge tenants to keep tenement stairwells clear after another fire on Friday 17 January 2014.
A three month old baby was taken to hospital and two men treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in a stairwell of a three storey block tenement in Lochend Road South, Edinburgh.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were called at 9.21pm on Friday night to a bin on fire in the stairwell of the tenement and crews from McDonald Road and Marionville fire stations were quickly mobilised. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus quickly extinguished the fire with a high pressure hose reel.
Two male casualties received oxygen therapy from firefighters before being passed into the care of the ambulance service. Neither required hospital treatment. A 3 month old baby boy was also given oxygen therapy at the scene before being taken to Edinburgh Sick Kids as a precaution.
Group Commander Mike Partington said: “We would urge people not to leave rubbish or bins in the common stairwells of tenement blocks. This can be very attractive to fire setters and increases the risk of a fire. Discarded items of furniture and rubbish can also impede access for emergency responders.
“You can reduce the risk of fire for yourself and your neighbours by keeping common stairs clear and free from obstruction and making sure main doors are kept locked. If you do not have a lock on your main door I would encourage you to get one fitted.”
“I would like to stress the importance of having a working smoke alarm. Every household should have working smoke alarm and test them every week. We provide free home fire safety visits and fit smoke alarms where required. If you know someone who can benefit from our service, why not get them to give us a call.
“If you or someone you know could benefit from a visit, please join Scotland’s fight against fire and request a visit by calling the SFRS freephone number 0800 0731 999, or by contacting their local fire station.”
A wide range of tips on how to keep yourself and your home safe from fire are available on the SFRS website: www.firescotland.gov.uk
