How to stay warm safely in the chilly Pretoria weather

Residents are advised to take the necessary precautions to stay safe while keeping warm this winter season.

Tshwane EMS spokesperson, deputy chief Charles Mabaso, said fires are likely to occur in all types of settlements, whether formal, informal, or rural, because most fire incidents are attributed to human behaviour.

He said a structure or dwelling in an informal settlement has a high probability of involvement in a fire.

“Plastic View in Pretoria east has experienced more devastating fires than many informal settlements in the seven regions of the city in recent times,” he said.

Mabaso said the city has put plans in place to respond to fires during this winter season.

He said the contingency plans focus on proactive measures, which include the following:

– Conducting awareness campaigns at educational institutions, early learning centres, and schools.
– Distributing fire and life safety awareness media through various platforms.
– Raising awareness in vulnerable communities, such as informal settlements.
– Collaborating with stakeholders and partners, such as the fire protection association, to encourage the creation of fire breaks in agricultural areas of the city.
– Conducting fire safety inspections.
– Coordinating with other city departments to conduct clean-ups and grass cutting to minimise the risk of runaway fires.

“Our operational teams remain on high alert to respond to emergency fire situations when they get reported on our 107-toll-free number,” he said.

Mabaso shared the following important tips to adhere to when trying to stay warm:

The dos and don’ts this winter:

Heating safety:
– Be cautious when using alternative heating sources.
– Check with your local fire department to ensure the legality of using fuel heaters in your residential area. Fill fuel heaters outside and make sure they have cooled down before refilling them.
– Keep heaters at least 1m away from flammable materials, and ensure the floor and nearby walls are properly insulated.
– Only use the type of fuel prescribed for your heating unit and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
– Store ash in a metal container outside and away from your home.
– Keep open flames away from walls, furniture, drapery, and other flammable items.
– Keep a screen in front of the fireplace.
– Have your heating units inspected and cleaned by a certified specialist once a year.

Electrical safety:
– Have the electrical wiring in your home checked by an electrician.
– Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires, loose plugs, and other signs of wear.
– Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
– Avoid running wiring under rugs, over nails, or across high-traffic areas.
– Do not overload extension cords or outlets.
– Consider using a Underwriter Laboratories (UL) approved unit with built-in circuit breakers if you need to plug in multiple appliances.
– Ensure insulation does not come into contact with bare electrical wiring.

Tips for escaping a fire:
– Review escape routes with your family and practise escaping from each room.
– Ensure that windows can be easily opened from the inside. Also, make sure that security gratings on windows have a mechanism for easy opening from the inside.
– If your home has multiple levels, consider investing in escape ladders.
– Ensure that burglar bars and other anti-theft mechanisms can be easily opened from the inside.
– Teach family members to stay close to the floor (where the air is safer during a fire) when escaping from a fire.
– Clean out storage areas regularly to prevent the accumulation of flammable materials.

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