The number of people killed in house fires across north east Wales has increased since the beginning of the year, and most of them are said to have been preventable deaths.

Nine people have died in the past eight months - six of them were women aged over 60.

Something drastic needs to be done to reduce this unnecessary waste of life

Chief fire officer Simon Smith

In most cases there was evidence that the victims had been smoking at the time of the blaze.

Chief fire officer Simon Smith said the deaths are devastating: "I take the death of everyone in fires in north Wales personally.

"I know it is unrealistic to expect to protect everyone all the time but our investigations of fire show that in most cases the victim need not have died."

Mr Smith's concerns have been raised a week after a north Wales coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest of Mary Duggan from Overton.

She died after setting her bedding on fire with a cigarette.

Simon Smith says he takes every death personally

The court was also told that there was a high level of alcohol in her blood.

Mr Smith said these deaths were becoming too common: "An intoxicated individual who is smoking can succumb to the depressant effects of alcohol.

"Alcohol increases the chance of starting a serious fire whilst at the same time reducing the chances of escape and survival," he added.

In March, a 93-year-old woman died in a fire at her six bedroomed home in Park Street, Denbigh.

Kathleen Jones was known to be a heavy smoker and suffered from Alzheimers disease.

Smoking

An inquest into her death recorded a verdict of accidental death.

When fire investigators searched the house, they found burn marks and the cause of fire was confirmed as careless disposal of smoking material.

Smoking is the leading cause of fires which kill people.

Studies have also shown that there is a correlation between alcohol and smoking in a number of fires.

Previous campaigns have warned people who have been out drinking to buy a takeaway meal rather than light a chip pan when they arrive home, as fat fires are highly dangerous too.

Chief fire officer Smith has warned anyone who drinks alcohol to be aware of the dangerous situations they could find themselves in.

"Fire fatalities and injuries can be prevented if a concerted effort is made to identify and modify high-risk drinking patterns."

He added: "Something drastic needs to be done to reduce this unnecessary waste of life that firefighters still see too frequently."