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Fire service issues safety warning after fourth fatal fire

News imageBBC Suzanne Fleming is a woman with short grey hair. She is wearing a navy zip up top which as a Northern Ireland Fire and rescue emblem. She is also wearing a name tag. A statue can be seen in the background as can a car on the street.BBC
Fire service area commander Suzanne Fleming said everyone should have a fire escape plan

The fire service has issued a public safety warning after four fatal house fires across Northern Ireland in three days.

It described the number of recent incidents as highly unusual and alarming.

In the latest incident, a woman in her 90s died following a fire at a mobile home on Tansy Road, Lisburn, County Antrim on Sunday evening.

The fire service said the three fires which took place on Friday and Saturday were accidental and connected to an overload of sockets and electrical issues.

On Friday two people died in house fires in Bangor and north Belfast. On Saturday a woman died following a fire at a house in west Belfast.

News imageA police car parked outside a house on Abbey Drive after a fatal fire. There are white semi-detached houses behind it.
On Friday a woman in her 50s died in a house fire in Abbey Drive in Bangor, County Down

Fire service area commander Suzanne Fleming said: "In the space of just three days, four people have sadly lost their lives to separate home fire incidents across Northern Ireland.

"This number of fatal incidents in such a short space of time is both highly unusual and deeply concerning."

She urged the public to make sure they do not overload electrical sockets and extension leads, that they have working smoke alarms, and to take extra care with cooking and electrical appliances.

"Ensure you have a bedtime routine and unplug all electrical items that are not required to be left on overnight," Ms Fleming added.

"You should have a fire escape plan and that everyone you live with knows it.

"Remember to check in on vulnerable family members, neighbours and friends who may need support to stay safe from fire."

News imageA house that has been damaged by a fire.
A woman in her 40s died following a fire at a house in Dunmurry in the early hours of Saturday morning

A man in his 20s was pronounced dead at the scene of a blaze at Queen Victoria Gardens in Belfast that was extinguished by firefighters at about 11:00 GMT on Friday.

About an hour and a half later a second fire happened at Abbey Park in Bangor, and a woman in her 50s died at the scene.

On Saturday police received a report of an ongoing blaze at a property in Areema Drive, Dunmurry, in west Belfast, at about 03:55 GMT.

A woman in her 40s was pronounced dead at the scene.

A man in his 50s, a 19-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl escaped from the blaze after being alerted by smoke alarms, according to the fire service.