EMS issues fire safety advice

The first incident occurred in Klopper Park, where a woman died.

Preliminary reports showed that a gas heater could have caused the fire.

The second incident occurred in Thokoza, where a shack caught fire and a man died.

“As temperatures are dropping drastically, people have started using different means and ways of household energy sources to keep warm,” says William Ntladi, spokesperson of the Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services.

He provided useful tips in an effort to save lives and properties.

Heaters fall into three categories: Electrical, paraffin and gas.

The following needs to be taken into consideration:

* Placement of the heater should be centralised within the room, away from any combustibles.

* Heaters should, at all times, be used in the presence of adults or a responsible person.

* Avoid leaving heaters switched on overnight, while sleeping, or during the day, in the absence of anybody at home.

* Do not dry clothes with a heater. The practice is a potential fire hazard.

* Keep the room or house ventilated more when using paraffin or gas heaters, as they emit toxic fumes.

* Avoid overloading of circuits.

* Avoid self-connections and repairs.

* Self-made heaters and stoves constructed from empty tins are dangerous.

* Main circuit-breakers should be regularly tested for operational purposes.

* The relevant length and size electrical extension cord should be used. Avoid using coiled or twisted electrical extension cords. When they heat up, they become a potential fire hazard.

Paraffin heaters, stoves and lamps:

* Use only approved clear paraffin in the appliance. Avoid mixing it with other flammable liquids.

* Use approved containers or any clear, suitable containers marked paraffin, with a safety cap.

* Store paraffin out of reach of children.

* Never use cool drink or fruit juice containers, as children can drink from them and suffer paraffin poisoning.

* Keep the appliance out of reach of children, on the centre of the table.

* Operate it away from other flammable liquids or gases.

* Always ventilate the room or home.

* When refilling, use the appropriate funnel, to avoid spillage.

* Avoid refilling while hot as that practice is a potential fire hazard.

* Keep paraffin stoves and lamps away from open windows as the possibility of curtains catching fire is high.

* Use the appropriate pot size on the paraffin stove.

Gas stoves and heaters:

* Only approved gas appliances should be used.

* Cylinder should be pressure-tested and approved.

* Avoid using garden hoses in place of the approved SABS gas pipe.

* Place the appliances on the centre of the table.

* Keep the cylinder in an upright position at all times, even during transportation.

* Avoid over filled cylinders. Only registered dealers are allowed to refill the cylinders.

* Don`t put the gas cylinder on hot surfaces, like stoves and open flames.

* Check for gas leakage in accordance with the manufacturer`s procedures, using soapy water. Bubbles are indications of gas leakage.

* Check the O-ring and gas pipe regularly for wear and tear.

* For a gas stove, never use a pot that is much bigger than the size of the stove.

* Keep windows open to ventilate the room or house.

* When lighting the gas appliance, first light the match then turn the gas on.

Candles:

* Cut the candle shorter.

* Use the appropriate candle holders half-filled with water. Avoid plates as these are still far too common practices.

* Put the candle on the centre of the table. Avoid putting it next to the open windows.

* Place it out of reach of children.

Coal stoves and fire places:

* Keep the room or house ventilated. Avoid carbon-monoxide poisoning.

* Put the braziers on a solid flat surface.

* Clean the fire place chimney to avoid carbon sooth build-up. The carbon-sooth build-up prevents smoke from being ventilated outside.

* Always extinguish open fires or flames when leaving the room or house.

* Matches and lighters are not toys to play with, keep them away from the reach of children.

In case of burn wounds:

* Use cold water only and only cold water. Nothing else for burn wounds must be used.

* Medical burn shields are the only approved dressings to treat and cool burn wounds.

Most of the fires are caused by negligence and lack of understanding towards heat sources.

“The attitude of the individual also contributes to the number of fires that we are experiencing as Disaster and Emergency Management Services,” says Ntladi.

For fire awareness training, contact the office of emergency planning on 011 999 5491.

For an emergency contact 10177, 112 from your cellphone or for a life-threatening emergency 011 458 0911.