As the Easter holidays begin and we’re out in the warm weather, the fire and rescue service would like to make sure everyone enjoys their time off safely.
With the sun shining, the grass, bushes and trees will be very dry and could easily catch fire. If you are out playing you should be very careful not to drop glass which could magnify the sunlight and start a fire. If you do discover a fire outside stay well back and call the fire and rescue service on 999. Remind children if they spot a fire to stay back and tell an adult as quickly as they can.
Mike Jaffray, Community Safety Manager for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said:
“There have already been a number of outdoor grass fires this week in our Service area and these have demonstrated how quickly a fire can get out of control and spread. To avoid being trapped by fire stay well away and go and get help quickly.
“Never play with fire or matches, you could start a fire and damage property, put other people at risk or it could be worse and you could get badly burned.”
Barbeques can be very dangerous if people are careless about fire safety. They should be supervised by an adult at all times. Make sure they are set up away from where children are playing and on a flat surface. Dispose of embers carefully and only when they are completely cool.
Mike continued: “Something else to be very careful of is playing near water. If a friend, a pet or a toy falls in to the water do not jump in after them, you could also get into difficulty. Get a grown up as quickly as you can, or if you have a mobile phone call 999 straight away.”
For lots more safety information for all the family visit Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service’s website www.lbfire.org.uk
