The number of fire related casualties and deaths in Dundee between January and February this year was more than double the number recorded last year.
There were 27 fire casualties and fatalities in the first quarter of 2016, up from 10 in comparison to the year before.
The number of casualties and fatalities recorded is also almost double the five year national average, which stand at 15.
The most serious of these was an incident that happened in March, in which a mother and her son tragically died in a fire at a tenement building on Park Avenue.
Evelyn McCabe, 56, and Steven Brown, 31, died in the blaze that consumed their flat in the early hours of March 10.
In a report to be presented to city councillors this Monday, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “Tragically we attended an incident during March in Park Avenue in Dundee which claimed the lives of two occupants of a top floor flat.
“As with all fatal fires a joint investigation was conducted and a report sent to the procurator fiscal. There were no suspicious circumstances in relation to this incident.
“Immediately following the incident the tenement involved and properties in the surrounding areas were subject to a post domestic incident response (PDIR) by both operational and dedicated prevention personnel.
“As a consequence a number of occupants took up the offer of a home fire safety visit.”
As part of Scottish Fire and Rescue’s plan to reduce the number of fire related casualties and deaths, officers visited over 3,800 homes to conduct home fire safety visits.
Officers spoke to 4,342 residents, advising them what to do in the event of an emergency and highlighting the importance of working smoke alarms.
Of the 61 accidental fires that happened in Dundee between January and March, 37 of those were identified by the smoke alarm going off.
Dundee Local Senior Officer, Colin Grieve, said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service works extremely hard to prevent fires from happening – because the consequences can clearly be devastating.
“That is why we work closely with partner agencies and use our local knowledge and intelligence to identify those most at risk to stay safe in their homes.
“There can be no doubt that early detection afforded by smoke detectors reduces risk.”