| Lochee West councillor Jill Shimi also said anyone found to be responsible for starting a fire could face jail after tenants in Elder’s Court were trapped in their homes by a blaze on the 11th floor of the building last night.
It was the third fire in the building in the space of a week and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
Following the blaze, Tayside Fire and Rescue warned that it is only a matter of time before another life is lost because the careless disposal of rubbish has allowed a blaze to spread.
Last month Kamran Ahmed (33) died in a fire in Albert Street. It is believed refuse lying in the common stairwell of the tenement helped flames spread.
Councillor Shimi said she was shocked by the repeated incidents at Elder’s Court and made it clear anyone deliberately starting a fire could expect to face serious consequences.
“This is more than anti-social behaviour,” she said.
“Wilful fire-raising is a criminal offence and starting a fire with intent to harm someone is even more serious. It would be treated very seriously by the police and the courts.”
Cllr Shimi said a full investigation into the blaze would be taking place and everything possible would be done to ensure residents in Elder’s Court could feel secure in their homes.
“I am very concerned about the safety of the residents,” she said.
“The council has a policy that every property should be fitted with a smoke detector, but some flats did not have them fitted and we will be trying to find out why.
“Some people choose to remove them or tamper with them — we would urge folk to make sure their alarms are working properly, and if they have problems with them to contact the housing department.”
Councillor Shimi also said tenants should not be afraid to report other residents who failed to dispose of their rubbish properly, something she said there is no excuse for.
“Tenants have to report any incidents of careless rubbish disposal immediately.”
Tenants can be evicted in just 60 days if it is proved in court there is a pattern of anti-social behaviour.
Cllr Shimi also said the investigation into the blaze would look at how often concierges carried out checks around the building.
“Concierges do carry out stairwell checks, but as part of the investigation the housing division will be looking at when they do this,” she said.
Cllr Shimi added that empty flats would also be fitted with hard-wired smoke detectors, which run off mains electricity, to ensure each flat in the building had a working smoke alarm.
City council housing convener Councillor George Regan said, “I am concerned some people are behaving in an irresponsible and reckless manner as far as the safety of other tenants is concerned.
“There is no excuse for anyone leaving items lying about in common areas of our properties because we make it as easy as possible for people to arrange disposal.
“In multi-storeys part of the concierge duties is to check stairs and landings regularly and make an area safe if they do come across any bags of rubbish or obstacles which are a safety hazard.
“It’s obviously impossible for 24-hour constant checks to be made, so tenants have a very real responsibility to make sure they dispose of rubbish properly in the chutes provided and get in touch with the caretaker to get any bulky items uplifted.”
Meanwhile, residents elsewhere in Dundee are beginning to express concerns that old items of furniture left lying in the street could be targeted by fire-raisers.
Peter Black from Pitfour Street said a three-piece suite had been left lying on the pavement outside his bedroom.
“It is unbelievable — we are being told how dangerous this is, but the council is doing nothing to remove them. This is just a nightmare. When I phoned the council they just ask you if you know who has dumped the furniture.”
A spokeswoman for Dundee City Council said residents should call their rapid response team about discarded items. |
