Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is urging members of the public to check that their smoke alarms, and those of older relatives and friends, are working following a death of an elderly man in a house fire. The property that caught fire did not have a working smoke alarm.
The fire started at 1:13pm on Blackburn Road in Oswaldtwistle on Monday afternoon and three fire crews from Hyndburn Fire Station attended the fire in the bungalow. Firefighters rescued the gentleman from the property and he was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital suffering smoke inhalation where unfortunately he passed away earlier today.
The cause of the fire is still under a joint investigation however firefighters have established that the two smoke alarms fitted in the property were not working because the batteries had been removed.
In the last three years, there have been 18 people killed in accidental house fires across Lancashire. The average ages of those people dying in house fires is 72 and 22% of these fires occur in a two week gap between 17th - 31st December.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s Station Manager of Hyndburn Fire Station, Brad Walker, says:
“If you have an elderly or vulnerable relative or friend who lives alone, check their smoke alarm is working this Christmas, it could help save their life. If they don’t have a working alarm, you can buy one for them from a local hardware shop or get one from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service by ringing 0800 1691125 or visiting www.lancsfirerescue.org.uk., it could be their best and most important Christmas present this year”
To see the statistics on accidental fire deaths in homes across Lancashire in the last three years, click here.