Glasgow vape fire sparks Dumfries safety calls

VAPING outlets across Dumfries and Galloway should be checked for safety in the aftermath of this week’s devastating Glasgow fire, a councillor insisted.

Mid and Upper Nithsdale Councillor Andrew Wood raised concerns about the hazards caused by the smoking devices at a council meeting on Wednesday.

It comes just days after a huge blaze, which started at a vape shop in Glasgow’s city centre, ripped through several historic Victorian buildings.

It has since been reported by The Herald newspaper that the shop where Sunday’s devastating fire started does not appear on the Scottish Government’s register of tobacco and vape retailers, which all vape sellers are required by law to join.

Dumfries and Galloway fire service chiefs attended Nithsdale area committee on Wednesday and Councillor Wood asked them: “With the recent fire in Glasgow, are we being proactive with our vaping outlets to ensure that they are safe?”

Station commander David Moffat replied: “In relation to the recent fire in Glasgow, our enforcement team are constantly working to identify any risks in terms of premises or duty holders within the area.

“They will engage with the duty holders to make sure they’re maintaining a good level of fire safety.

“I’m hoping you’ll appreciate that, given the fire was very recent, there will still need to be discussions and reviews with police following it.

“I’m sure further recommendations and actions will come from that. When that’s disseminated down to areas, we can then look at that and see what we can do moving forward.”

The hazards of disposable vapes is an issue that has been raised in council meetings for the last couple of years by Mid and Upper Nithsdale Councillor Tony Berretti.

He has spoken out about this issue on numerous occasions, highlighting how the flimsy batteries in disposable vapes are hazardous and can cause blazes when discarded with other waste.

He previously described them as “thousands of accidents waiting to happen”.