MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE have paid tributes to the victims of the tragic fire in London today (Jun 14).
Chris Davies, Chief Fire Office of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: ”As the terrible events in London are still unfolding and the circumstances of today’s incident remain unclear, our thoughts are with those who have lost their lives, been affected by this incident or are responding from London Fire Brigade or as part of the wider multi agency response. This incident has been traumatic and challenging for all those concerned.
“At this stage, we do not yet know what caused the fire, where it started or how it has spread in such a way. As such, it’s important that we do not try and speculate on these key questions and allow those who are conducting the investigation to come to their conclusions. However, there is some important advice that we can share with those that live in high rise properties across mid and west Wales.”
The fire service advice is as follows:
- If you live in a high rise property, you are no more at risk of a fire starting. Our advice is that people who live in high rise properties / purpose built flats or maisonettes, aside from having a working smoke alarm and taking fire safety precautions, is to make sure you know your escape route and what to do if there is a fire inside your home of somewhere else in the building.
- Never prop or wedge doors open. The exterior doors of your home are specially designed to resist fire and stop the spread of smoke. However, to do this, they must be kept closed when they are not in use. It is also a good idea to close your internal doors when you retire for the night.
- Make sure that your escapes routes, inside and outside of your flat, are kept clear of obstacles at all times.
- Know where your keys are – vital time needed to escape may be lost if you have to scramble around looking for them.
If the smoke alarm sounds:
- Don’t open doors looking for the source of the fire.
- Alert everyone else and leave the flat, closing the door behind you.
- Don’t stop to gather personal belongings or pets.
- Don’t use a balcony to escape unless it’s part of an official escape route.
- When you are out of the building, find a phone and call 999 – and remember to keep calm and speak clearly.
- Never go back into the building until you have been told it is safe to do so.
If a fire breaks out elsewhere in the building:
- It will normally be safe for you to stay in your own flat. Open a window if you need fresh air, and stay by the window where you may been seen. If your own flat becomes affected by smoke, leave at once, closing windows and doors behind you.
- If you have to leave the building, always use the staircase and never use the lift.
- If you have to move through smoke, keep as close to the floor as you can, where the air is fresher.
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