DEATHS caused by accidental fires in Redbridge are among the lowest in London, a report has revealed.

Only four people died in blazes at their homes during the five-year period analysed in Fire Deaths in London 1996 to 2000, published last Thursday by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

The report, which looked at 418 deaths in residential fires in the capital, revealed that in Redbridge there were 3.4 deaths per million population. This compares with between eight and 12 deaths per million in neighbouring Waltham Forest, where ten to 13 people died in residential fires between 1996 and 2000.

Bernie Smith, the station commander for Woodford and Hainault fire stations, is pleased with the Redbridge statistics.

He said: "We are doing reasonably well. The main reason is that Redbridge is an affluent residential area with very high levels of smoke alarms.

"Most fires start in the home so this is a tribute to Redbridge firefighters' work to get the fire safety message across. I am pleased residents have taken heed of that. But there is no room for complacency. All residents need to get smoke alarms fitted."

The report found that in homes without smoke alarms accidental deaths were four times more likely to happen. Smoke alarms were not fitted in the homes of 131 fire death victims, that is 77 per cent. A further eight per cent (14 victims) had smoke alarms that did not go off because the battery was either missing or flat.

It also revealed that people were more likely to die if they smoked. More than half of the deaths were caused by smoking materials, 13 per cent were the result of cooking fires and nine of the fires were started by candles.

The report found that the people most at risk of being killed were those aged over 60, people with drink or drug problems, the disabled and people in less affluent neighbourhoods.

By.Susana Mendona