Fire chief's drink warning after string of deadly blazes

STV

Scotland's leading firefighter has called for a "fundamental change" in attitudes towards alcohol following a spate of devastating house fires.

Brian Sweeney, chief officer of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service, said drink was a factor in five deaths in house fires during the festive season.

Another 68 people were injured and 250 homes destroyed by fire during a 10-day spell over Christmas and New Year which was the service's busiest period in 10 years.

Mr Sweeney branded binge drinking the "greatest crisis facing Scotland at the moment" and said the holiday period had brought "an unprecedented level of tragedy and misery across our communities".

He said: "During the seasonal period the problem is alcohol, alcohol, alcohol. We fundamentally need to change our relationship with alcohol.

"In my opinion, the economic crisis is not the greatest crisis facing Scotland at the moment. The greatest crisis facing Scotland is our dependency on alcohol, our consumption of alcohol - it's binge drinking and being under the influence of alcohol."

Rapid spread

One of those rescued, Kevin Wemyss, 29, said he felt lucky to be alive after firefighters saved him from his burning flat in Paisley yesterday.

Mr Wemyss escaped with smoke inhalation from the fourth-floor tenement flat he shares with his 10-month-old daughter Luci, fiancee Nikki Drew, 30, and her three children aged nine, seven and five.

A man and a woman who were rescued from the ground floor flat where the fire started are still being treated in hospital.

Mr Wemyss said: "You think: it won't happen to me, but nothing prepares you for a lung-full of that smoke. The minute that smoke catches the back of your throat, you start coughing and you can't stop coughing until you get into fresh air.

"The big thing that we've all learned from that is the quickness the smoke spread. We went from a little bit of smoke under the front door to 60 seconds later the flat was full of smoke.

"From now on, our house, we will have a fire plan so we know where to go to escape or be rescued. Don't sit there and think it will not happen because if it does it scares the hell out of you basically, and it all happens quicker than you think it would."

Edward Combe, 68, was the latest victim aslames consumed his bungalow in Luss, Argyll and Bute, on Tuesday.

On Monday a 45-year-old man died in a fire in a ground floor flat in Dumbarton, the day after a man in Muiryhall Street, Coatbridge, was killed when fire ripped through his home in the early hours.

On Saturday a 53-year-old woman died and a 52-year-old man was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation after a flat fire in McLaurin Crescent, Johnstone.

And 75-year-old Thomas Oliver died in a fire at his home in Bangorshill Street, Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, on December 27.

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