THOUSANDS of residents in high flats across Clydebank and north-west Glasgow have been reassured their buildings are safe in the wake of the deadly Grenfell Tower tragedy last week.

At least 79 people are dead or missing and presumed dead after the disaster, prompting urgent government reviews, a planned public inquiry and assessments of thousands of buildings across the UK.

Letters have gone out to tenants across West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow and detailed fire safety inspections are being commissioned.

The last in-depth structural surveys of Clydebank towers were in 2010, though fire safety checks are carried out annually. Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) structures last received structural checks in August 2016.

On Saturday morning, 15 people were evacuated from Cheviot Court, in Knightswood, after a small fire broke out at about 5.50am. The tower is 24 storeys, the same as Grenfell. One man was assessed at the scene by paramedics but didn’t require hospital treatment.

It was an immediate reminder of the potential danger and residents have spoken of their uncertainty and concerns regarding their buildings and what to do in an emergency.

Craig Edward, chairman of the Dalmuir Multi Storey Flats TRA, told the Post he secured an urgent inspection of fire doors in the buildings over the weekend and said any defects found should be resolved “as a matter of urgency”.

He said: “As part of our discussions with housing management, we will consider and explore all options to ensure the safety of tenants. This no doubt will involve discussions with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) also.

“We are not experts in how effective sprinklers are, having hard-wired smoke alarms, or communal fire alarms etc but we will be asking about all options to keep us safe.

“There were horrific scenes to watch on the news and everything must be done to ensure lessons are learnt to prevent this ever occurring again.”

Residents at the Knightswood towers said sprinklers and more fire exits should be considered.

Pushing her 10-month-old baby in his buggy outside their 15th floor flat in Lincoln Avene at the weekend, Lubica Zimnoch said she had been uncertain how to react when recent fires broke out.

“There have been two fires here recently,” she told our sister paper, the Sunday Herald. “During the last one I heard an alarm and so we came down the stairs alone. Nobody told us to. I wasn’t sure what I should do.”

West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) sent out letters on Friday to all residents in the buildings about the measures they’re taking. GHA set up a helpline for residents with any concerns stemming from the Grenfell fire.

A WDC spokeswoman confirmed the last structural checks were in 2010 but each tower has a full-time caretaker and “part of their remit is to maintain the building and report repairs for action”.

New builds after 2005 require sprinklers, but there is no retrospective rule to put them in place. The council said all buildings have dry-risers installed, where water can be pumped into upper floors by the fire service.

The spokeswoman added: “To provide further reassurance, we have commissioned enhanced fire safety risk assessments, and will develop a best practice standard for fire safety within our multi-storey flats.”

After concerns from residents, MP Martin Docherty-Hughes wrote to council chief executive Joyce White within hours of the Grenfell blaze calling for a review of fire safety measures at all high flats.

He wrote: “Given the number of high rise flats in West Dunbartonshire, I believe that the council should work in conjunction with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service so that all reasonable steps are being taken to ensure these buildings meeting the highest possible standards for fire safety.

“I would ask that the council considers undertaking a review of its fire risk assessments for each of the high rise buildings it manages.”

Gil Paterson, Clydebank’s MSP, added: “Although housing standards in Scotland are much more superior to those of England and Wales, we need to ensure that they are robust and there are no hazards that are hidden from view. I’m pleased the government has taken the action to investigate this.”

Risk assessments in 2010 led to new cladding, windows and fire doors being installed up to 2015. New cladding on West Dunbartonshire and north-west Glasgow towers are not the same as that used in the London building.