FIRE Brigade chiefs have urged people to take care after Government figures revealed yesterday that smoking was the main cause of accidental house fire deaths.

Of 466 fire deaths in England and Wales between April 1998 and March 1999, 132 were caused by dropped or carelessly discarded cigarettes.

In the same period, County Durham and Darlington Fire Brigade dealt with 25 fatal house fires where the cause of the blaze was known, of which 12 were caused by smoking.

Station Officer John Bowery, of the Community Fire Safety Team, said fire deaths caused by smoking were avoidable.

Elderly people were most at risk, but people also put themselves at risk when under the influence of alcohol.

"A lot of deaths are caused by people either falling asleep in bed or while sitting in a chair while smoking," he said.

"Old people are particularly vulnerable, and perhaps relatives should be trying to dissuade them from smoking in bed.

"At this time of year, as all year round, the influence of alcohol on people can also be a danger.

"Falling asleep is the simplest thing to do, and to do so with a lit cigarette can prove fatal."

Station Officer Bowery also urged people to take care when standing near open fires.

He said that when he was 16, his grandmother died from 86 per cent burns after her night-dress caught alight as she stood in front of the fireplace.

He said: "That was 32 years ago, and now I am in this job I often tell that story when I give fire safety talks.

"We do deal with fires where people stand too close to heat sources or pull their settee or chair too close to the fire. That is a significant cause of death in elderly groups.