How to protect your home and budget against household fire

Household fires have common causes but unexpected ones as well. Some of the most common causes household fires include electrical faults, and cooking and gas appliances. Knowing what to do to prevent an ordinary task from turning into a danger can make all the difference.

Creating safety in the kitchen

Creating memories with family and friends over a home cooked meal is one of life’s simple treasures. The kitchen is often said to be the heart of the home, but it is also one of the most common area for a fire.

Follow these three tips for cooking with caution:

1. Stay in the kitchen and be alert while cooking.
2. Keep all flammable items such as kitchen towels and flammable substances away from the stove top, oven and other heat sources.
3. When cooking or baking, use a timer to check the food regularly.

Creating safety around the braai fire

As South Africans we know there is more than one way of getting a delicious meal. It’s summer and the best time to enjoy the season is one of our famous traditions – the braai. 

Here are some safety tips when braaiing:

1. Make sure your braai stand is set up on a flat area away from overhanging trees.
2. Do not use highly flammable substances such as alcohol, petrol or paraffin to light the fire.
3. Do not leave the braai unattended.
4. Do not throw hot ash or coals into a rubbish bin.

Safety around gas appliances

Gas is a popular alternative source of energy for many people for their household needs. Using gas stovetops in the kitchen and relying on gas heaters and fireplaces for warmth in the colder seasons is a great way to curb electricity costs.

Knowing how to correctly handle gas appliances is important. Make sure that your gas appliances are in good order and that hoses are properly attached. You can get these checked by your local hardware or certified gas store.

Remember that the gas taps must always be turned off before changing the gas cylinder and that this should be done in a well‑ventilated area.

Precautions to avoid an electrical fire

Most of our daily gadgets and appliances for home, school and work are electrically powered. As such, keeping to the basic safety guidelines is even more important, for example, do not use electrical equipment near water and do not plug too many plug points into a single socket.

With load shedding, there is a greater chance of electrical faults that lead to power surges, overloading and shorting electrical appliances. These usually occur when the power comes back on and in some instances create a fire.

These tips will help you manage and reduce the risks of electrical faults, even during load shedding:

1. Switch off mains before a scheduled outage
2. Unplug all devices before planned load shedding
3. Invest in good quality surge protectors to minimise the risk of damaged appliances

What to do in the event of a fire

1. Remember to stay calm and move to the nearest exit as fast as possible.
2. If there is smoke, cover your nose and mouth and stay as low to the ground as possible.
3. Close the doors behind you as you exit rooms.
4. Do not return into the structure for anything, move as far away from the blaze as possible.
5. Once safely outside, call emergency services. If you are a Discovery client in the Johannesburg area you can call Fire Force on 0860 999 911.

Ensure your home is protected against fire with Discovery Insure. Get a home insurance quote.

Discovery Insure Ltd is a licenced non-life insurer and an authorised financial services provider. Registration number 2009/011882/06. Product rules, terms and conditions apply.