‘Protect older people’ is message at Royston hazard house

The danger of fires starting in older peoples’ homes was the focus of the day when the fire and rescue service staged a mock-up ‘hazard house’ in Royston last week.

The importance of checking smoke alarms, looking out for overloaded plug sockets, and damaged and old appliances were all highlighted at the event in Garden Walk on Wednesday.

Richard Thake, responsible for community safety at the county council, said: “I was shocked to see how easily small fires can break out and how quickly they become very serious, especially for older people whose mobility might not be too good.

“Very often, however, these situations can be easily avoided.”

Fire officers are urging people in the community to look out for older and vulnerable people, who are more at risk from being injured in a blaze.

In Hertfordshire the average age of a domestic fire casualty is 77.