Fire chief in plea to save 'vulnerable' people from house fires

Lancashire Fire and Rescue now focus on fire safety as well as fighting fires

Fire services should work with health and social services to better protect vulnerable people, a fire chief said.

Lancashire's assistant chief fire officer David Russell said smokers, people living alone, and those known to social services face a much higher than average risk of dying in house fires.

He wants social and health services to tell his service so these vulnerable groups can be visited at home.

Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board said his plea was "very interesting".

The Local Democracy Reporter Service said Mr Russell made his comments at one of the board's meetings.

"Every time I'm noted of a fire-related death in Lancashire, I could pretty much write the profile of the individual," Mr Russell told the meeting.

"The one sad reflection is that, very often, that individual will be known to [social] services - but not the fire and rescue service."

'Fire prevention'

Mr Russell told the BBC that his officers attend many incidents involve "smoking", "people living alone" or those "in receipt of social care or support from an agency."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it now attended 50% fewer incidents than in 2008.

This has given them time to make 25,000 fire-prevention home visits .

The meeting was told that for every £1 invested in fire prevention, health services save at least £2.52.

"Health and social care services are facing the same challenge as the fire service did 10 years ago - moving from chasing demand to getting serious about prevention," Mr Russell said.

Sean Turner, chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board, said: "Because Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has been so successful at preventing fire with fire safety checks, they actually have noted the prevailing circumstances and suggested and started carrying out 'safe and well' checks.

"It is really really interesting."