THERE are few things more horrifying than the sort of fire which took the lives of Louise, Hayley and Gemma Waddington on Friday night.

The tragedy has not only devastated the estate in Hapton where they lived and Padiham County Primary School where they were cheerful pupils. A whole community is in mourning.

You don't have to know the family to be deeply upset by the awful event.

What it must be like to lose three children in such distressing circumstances is scarcely imaginable.

Fire is indiscriminate in the way it strikes but as station commander Dave Jackson emphasises today there are steps which can be taken to reduce the risks.

If you contact your local fire station, a free home fire safety check will be carried out.

Advice will be given about what to do in the event of a fire and, if necessary, up to two smoke alarms will be fitted free of charge.

While they will obviously not prevent fire breaking out and spreading, such detectors do give early warning of smoke and seconds could be vital in saving lives.

It is equally important that once fitted, alarms are regularly checked to ensure they still work.

The lessons to be learned from this fire will not be clear until full investigations have been carried out. In the meantime we should all take practical steps to minimise the threat of death, injury and damage.