Beware of winter fire hazard

NEW Germany PR councillor Smoh Xulu has advised residents to stay alert during this wintertime as there have been several fire breakouts. She appealed to everyone to be ‘all hands on deck’.

“I urge residents to report if they see someone starting a fire illegally.”

This comes after two fires were reported in the New Germany area in less than a week. According to Xulu, the first fire incident occurred last Monday at the open space outside New Germany Clinic.

Also read: Man dies after Malvern house fire

“The second fire incident started around 12:00 in Berkshire on Thursday. The cause of these fires is unclear as nobody has confirmed having seen anyone starting them. It is so fortunate that the fire disaster teams responded rapidly on both occasions and nobody was injured. We are thankful to them,” she said.

Xulu highlighted that this is very concerning as the fire just breaks out, and it can damage infrastructure.

“The fire on Thursday almost damaged people’s houses. Another worry is that this area has been experiencing water outages for the past month now. Water goes off and on almost every day.

“Imagine what could’ve happened had it affected people’s homes and they had no water? I do not think that whoever is the cause of these fires actually understands the impact they can have on people’s lives. These fires are also accompanied by dangerous smoke which can cause serious health problems to human beings. We all need to put our hands on deck to stop and prevent these,” said Xulu.

She thanked the CPF committee members who are always available to assist.

City calls for extra caution when using fire

The City said that during the winter season, the eThekwini Municipality is one of the municipalities that bears the brunt of runaway fires, which are largely a result of the negligence of some residents.

“In 2023 alone,” City’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said, “the City responded to more than 6 000 fire incidents during the winter season.”

She said that households and informal settlements continue to account for a substantial number of these cases, and it is worrying.

Also read: 2 men sustain serious burn injuries as fire erupts in truck

“Fire outbreaks do not only result in damage to property but they also take lives. Illegal electricity connections and unattended fires are usually found to be the reasons behind these disasters. For us to turn the tide against these calamities, which have become synonymous with our city, members of the public need to play their part by being cautious when using fire.”

Sisilana stated that the City’s emergency teams are always on high alert to respond to any emergencies anywhere in the city.

“However, their success in saving lives and minimising damage to property depends on the public heeding the call of practising safety. We all need to join hands and prevent possible damages that may be caused by unnecessary fires.”

The City shared the following tips that may help prevent fire outbreaks:

• Ensure that every fire is always attended to once started.
• Every fire must be extinguished properly with water after using it – except electrical fires.
• No fire should burn throughout the night unattended.
• Smokers must refrain from throwing cigarette butts through windows of moving cars.
• Ensure that all cigarette butts are extinguished properly before disposal.
• Guard against children gaining access to objects that may start fires.

In case of an emergency, residents can contact their 24-hour emergency number at 031 361 0000.

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