Firefighters are visiting every house in Keighley in an effort to reduce fire risk in the home. Katie Frearson went along with them in Braithwaite this week

The massive pilot campaign could spread nationwide if it is successful. It stems from a wave of fires across the Keighley and Bradford district, most of which were caused by unattended chip pans.

Fire officers are also warning residents about the dangers of having smoke alarms with no batteries.

Keighley fire station has been chosen to test the pilot scheme and officers launched the campaign last weekend. Areas first targeted were Oakworth and Riddlesden.

On Tuesday, Green Watch was sent up in two fire engines to Guardhouse Avenue - the location of Sunday's fire which critically injured 39-year-old Tommy Paton (see report above).

With a ghetto-blaster blaring in the background, the 14 firefighters dispersed themselves along the street in pairs, knocking on residents' doors to give them advice on fire safety in the home and - if let into the house - to carry out risk assessments. The time was approaching 2.30pm.

Sub-officer Jeff Glover told me: "We are targeting areas at the moment which we consider to be the most important. We have already posted leaflets through every door in this street informing residents of our campaign and our visit. Now we're hoping to get into all the houses to assess their risk status or just advise them on how to make their homes safer. The firefighters will spend about ten minutes in each house. All those houses we don't get into, we will return to and try again until we have spoken to all the occupants. Those who refuse us entry, we will send letters to asking them to come down to the station for a chat about fires in the home."

He added that each of the town's four Watches has been allocated a different area of Keighley to assess.

Station officer Arthur Atkinson said: "We want to get across to people the problems which are occurring across West Yorkshire and to address these problems by telling people about fire safety in the home. But a lot of people here appear to be out so we're going to have to come back. As we work 24 hours, we can do calls at night which might suit residents better."

During one house visit, fire officers offered to fit a smoke detector free of charge. (The fire service is looking for sponsorships for smoke alarms which can be distributed throughout the community.) Within five minutes it was done. The firefighters then quickly took a look around the home to assess the fire risks. Risks were listed on a sheet which the firemen filled in on a question-answer basis. Risks included putting too much oil in chip pans, having adaptors without trail leads, putting wires under the carpet and not having a key placed near the back door in case of a fire.

Half an hour into the assessments, the fire engine siren sounded and the Watch dashed to the call of a fire alarm at Delph House. Dogs and children stared on bemused at the sight of the sprinting force who promised to 'be back later'. And they were. Time: approaching 3.30pm.

Towards the end of the one-and-a-half-hour campaign, the fire crew appeared to be quite pleased with their operation.

Firefighter David Scurrah said: "I've visited four houses and knocked on the doors of a lot of empty houses. But the people here have been quite receptive, maybe because of the recent fire."

Firefighter Rob Whitehead added: "It felt a bit childish knocking on one door and then immediately running away because of the fire call. One household was at high risk but we explained to the occupiers what to do to minimise the risks and left them an advice sheet. But the highest risk was smoking in bed. All in all, though, I'd say today has been quite successful."

Keighley station commander John Davies summed up: "We have changed our focus from targeting safety measures in industries and factories to people's homes. We are trying to be proactive in the home because people are dying in their houses at night rather than in industries. We want to makes homes as safe as possible. This method is what we consider to be the best way of achieving that aim.

"Smoke alarms definitely work and save people's lives. Residents will be seeing their firefighters much more from now on."

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