Firefighters: This has been the busiest Christmas season

With 15 people killed and 37 injured in 654 fires over Christmas Eve and Christmas day, the State Fire Service of Poland has said that these were the most tragic Christmas holidays in recent history.

“I cannot remember such a tragic Christmas season in terms of casualties,” Fire Service spokersperson Pawel Fratczak told Polish Radio.

“On Christmas day alone, the 201 fires which were reported resulted in more deaths than the whole Christmas season in the previous years,” Franczak added.

The firefighter said that there was one common denominator about most of these fires – that the fires happened at night, when people notice the flames once it is too late.