Photos Aishling Conway
The cause of a house fire near Kildare Town in which two men died more than a year ago still hasn't been established, according to an official Government report.
Victims William 'Charlie' Vaughan (76) John Paul Flood (33) died in the blaze at Tully East near the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, which broke out at 2.30am on July 11, 2017.
Kildare Fire Service units responded to the incident.
The Origin of the Fire is also described as 'Unknown'.
The report also said it wasn't established if a working smoke alarm was present in the house at the time.
There were a total of 41 fatalities from fires across the country in 2017.
The two men were believed to have been socialising earlier in the evening.
Fire Safety
Meanwhile, families across the country are being urged to discuss fire safety and develop a family fire safety plan.
The advice comes from PhoneWatch, Ireland’s leading provider of monitored home safety systems, after statistics released today show that tragically 41 people lost their lives in fires in 2017.
Speaking about fire safety in the home, PhoneWatch MD Eoin Dunne said “Our thoughts go out to those families who have been affected by a fire in the home. While a fire in the home is always an upsetting event, it becomes an unspeakable tragedy when there is a loss of life. Thankfully fatal fires remain a relatively rare occurrence in Ireland.
Mr. Dunne highlighted the increased fire risks within homes, “It is striking that the vast majority of fatal fires occur in the home. That is why it is essential that every family actively plans for their fire safety while at home.
“Shops, offices and restaurants will all have comprehensive fire safety plans, however the same is not true for most households. This is in spite of the fact that everyday activities we all do such as lighting fires or candles, as well as cooking increase the risks of fire. Fires can also have a much bigger impact at night because when we are asleep a small fire has a greater chance of becoming a serious incident. Despite these risks many homes have no plan in place for fire safety.”
“A smoke detector is an essential piece of equipment and should be fitted throughout every home. In addition it is worth considering a monitored alarm, this is far more effective as it ensures that even if you are incapacitated, others will always be able to raise the alarm. In PhoneWatch we make four potentially lifesaving interventions each day by dispatching emergency services to customers’ homes where alarms have activated. In total, PhoneWatch despatched the emergency services to Irish homes for fire and carbon monoxide activations over 1,400 times in the last year alone.”
Mr Dunne made a specific appeal to people in apartments to plan for their fire safety “People in apartments can develop a false sense of safety, believing that a building’s safety systems will protect them. Very often however these systems are only installed in common areas, meaning you still must protect your own dwelling with an adequate smoke detection system. In a large building it is also more important to plan your evacuation.
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