NEARLY 500 homes were visited by firefighters in the first three months of 2016.

The latest figures from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) showed 471 homes were visited in East Renfrewshire, and accidental house fires fell by a quarter. About half of the visits within the area were to homes identified as being at potentially high risk from fire.

A spokesman for the service said they acted on referrals from East Renfrewshire Social Services, the Health and Social Care Partnership and East Renfrewshire Council.

Area manager David Proctor explained: “Those in greatest need of our support are often the hardest to reach.

“Working closely with partner agencies means we can identify where someone may be at increased risk, allowing us to effectively target our preventative work to help them stay safe  in their home.”

He said firefighters were also delivering formal fire awareness and risk training to staff from both social work and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

No-one was killed as a result of fire during the period and the only fire-related casualty received only precautionary treatment.

Free home fire safety visits are available by calling SFRS on 0800 073 1999 or by filling in a form at firescotland.gov.uk.