In total, seven people have lost their lives in house fires in Norway so far in December. There are as many who died for the same reason in the whole of December last year. Five lost their lives in the same month the previous year. – Among those who are most exposed to such fires are the elderly and those in need of care, says Director Elisabeth Aarsæther in the Directorate for Community Safety and Emergency Preparedness (DSB). People over 70 have a four to five times higher risk of dying in a fire compared to the rest of the population, according to DSB. In addition to the elderly and those in need of care, people with disabilities and drug addicts are particularly vulnerable. If it catches fire in the socket, always switch off the power in the fuse box. The cause of fire is often due to faults with electrical equipment. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news – Several at-risk people live at home In Trøndelag, the emergency services responded to four deadly fires in December. On Tuesday, two of them happened. A man died in a house fire in Oppdal, while an elderly woman is missing in Inderøy. The many fatal fires in Trøndelag recently are not too surprising for Anna-Karin Hermansen, who heads the preventive department at Trøndelag fire and rescue service. – It is a high number, but more people at risk live at home. We can bother and visit the old uncle for a coffee before Christmas, she says. Anna-Karin Hermansen, head of the preventive department in Trøndelag fire and rescue service. Photo: Elina Nicoline Rydland Ørnhaug / news The other three cases are in Møre and Romsdal, Vestfold and Telemark and Viken. On 2 December, a man in his 60s died in a house fire in Halden. – In Halden, we have had a hectic week in terms of building fires. One ended in the worst possible way. The risk is clearly higher now, considering the cold and Christmas time, says fire chief in Halden Ole-Christian Torgalsbøen. In the last month, the fire service in Oslo and Viken has responded to more than 70 building fires. Ole-Christian Torgalsbøen, fire chief in Halden, asks people to pay extra attention to fire safety in the home in December. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news 31 has lost a life Last year, the fire service responded to 1,807 house fires in private homes in Norway. 266 of these were in December. Candles, fireplaces, old Christmas decorations, cooking and more use of electricity are often the cause of fires. Especially in combination with alcohol consumption, figures from DSB show. Have you checked that the smoke detector is working? Yes No Does not have smoke alarms Show result Now there has been a longer cold spell in many places in the country. This means more heating and the use of heaters. – It is very sad to see that the number of people killed in fires has increased in recent days. Every single person who loses their life in a fire is one too many, says director Elisabeth Aarsæther in DSB. Most of the fatal fires happen late at night or early in the morning and at weekends. Five tips to avoid fires So far this year, 31 people have lost their lives in house fires, 21 men and seven women. At the same time last year, there were 38 deaths. Simple measures can reduce the risk of fire. Here are some tips from DSB: The most important advice is to have working smoke alarms – at least one on each floor and the alarm must be clearly audible in the living room and bedroom, even when the door between the rooms is closed. Be awake and present when you cook and light candles – feel free to replace candles with LED lights for increased safety. A stove guard is a good investment that can save lives. With the stove guard, the stove switches off when a dangerous situation arises. (There is a requirement for a stove guard in new homes). Have extinguishing equipment in the form of a house fire hose or extinguisher readily available. Fire blankets can be used to suffocate a fire or extinguish a small fire. Put ashes far from the house, and wood baskets far from the hearth. The most important thing is to have smoke alarms that work, says Elisabeth Aarsæther, director of DSB. Photo: Anita Andersen
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The elderly are most at risk – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
