South Wales Fire & Rescue Service joined forces with the Council's homeless outreach team recently to promote fire safety messages to individuals staying in tents in the city.

Following a number of instances of tents catching fire in the city over recent months, and amid increasing concerns for the welfare of tent occupants, fire officers accompanied the  Outreach team on the city centre streets to alert people to the dangers and consequences of a tent fire and measures they can take to stay safe.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "A few individuals have had some very lucky escapes from tents that have caught on fire in the city recently. While one person suffered only minor burns, it could have been a lot worse and we remain very concerned for the safety of people in tents. This is  why we have been working so hard over recent months to help people into accommodation.

"A tent pitched on Penarth Road was completely destroyed by fire within minutes recently and thankfully, no-one was hurt in the incident but it just serves to emphasize the dangers faced by vulnerable individuals staying in tents.

"We're really grateful to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service for working with us to get important fire safety messages across to people while we continue to  encourage them to access the accommodation and support services that are available to help them  come in off the streets."

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Station Commander for Cardiff Central, Gareth Llewellyn said: "Weare aware of some of the issues faced by vulnerable people living on the street and the use of naked flames.

"Cooking inside tents can produce Carbon Monoxide, which is colourless, odourless and lighter than air. The side effects of Carbon Monoxide poisoning can be fatal in poorly ventilated spaces. 

"In a confined space, such as a tent there is a danger of a build-up of carbon monoxide given off by the flame, alongside the materials that some tents are made of which will readily ignite causing a fire to rapidly spread.

"We would encourage those who find themselves in difficult circumstances to work with support services available."