Islanders are being urged to stay safe following a fire tragedy last month when a 51-year-old man died.
Firefighters want to help and support residents on Barra after Joe MacNeil died following a blaze at his home at St Barrs Crescent, Northbay, in the early hours of March 17.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has organized a free event in Castlebay Community Hall today and would like as many local people as possible to come along for advice on how to stay safe in their homes.
Fraser Burr, SFRS local senior officer, said: “We want to support our communities to reduce risk from fires arising in the first place as we are all too aware of the devastating consequences.
“People on Barra have very recently suffered a tragic loss and my thoughts and those of the service are very firmly with their families, their friends and the wider community.
“We all need to do as much as we can to prevent tragedies like this from occurring and I would encourage everyone to come and meet with us to find out how we can support them to stay safe.”
Station manager Graham Clark added: “At the drop-in event we will offer guidance and advice on what to do in the event of an emergency and we hope as many people as possible can make it along.
“We want to support our entire community, but we all know older or vulnerable people who could be at risk – it could be a grandmother, an aunt, or even a friend or neighbour. If you, or someone you know, is at risk from fire, please get in touch with us.”
The fire on Barra was the third fatal blaze in the Western Isles in the past few months. South Uist pensioners, Morag Ann Macdonald who was in her 80s, and William Hanks, 83, died after fires in their homes on the island in February. The cause of all three is still being investigated.
The drop-in event on Barra will run from 10am-4pm.