People take fire prevention for granted because the island does not have as many serious incidents as other countries.

That was the message from Troy Furbert, the acting chief fire officer at the Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, who was speaking at the launch of Fire Prevention Week today.

At the launch of the week at City Hall, Mr Furbert said: “Bermuda’s building construction is that we do not see some of the large fires as other jurisdictions see.

“However, we have experienced some very tragic outcomes here in Bermuda as a result of fire, so I am asking people to remain vigilant and not take fire safety for granted.”

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This year’s Fire Prevention Week is centred around safe cooking techniques, which Mr Furbert believed is one of the major causes of fires on the island.

He said: “We have seen significant fires, a lot have been through unattended cooking, people leaving oil on the stove and it will spontaneously ignite.

“Appliances, such as stoves, microwaves and hotplates, must be well-maintained and any appliance that may be faulty should be repaired or taken out entirely and replaced with a new one.”

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, who was also at today’s event, told firefighters: “Your dedication and bravery are the backbone of our community’s safety and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”

He also highlighted fire safety techniques, such as installing smoke detectors and having regular drills.

Children of all ages can see the BFRS’ vehicles and learn more prevention and safety procedures at the Hamilton Fire Station throughout this week.