The unfortunate scenes of house fires are a norm in parts of Johannesburg and in South Africa generally during the winter season, with heating equipment the leading cause of house fires during the winter season leading into spring.
Robert Mulaudzi, spokesperson of the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) said, “While home fires tend to be more prevalent in informal settlements, the average suburban home is also very much at risk as a result of the careless use of heating appliances.”
Auto and General Insurance said in a statement that house fires can be caused by heaters, stoves, candles, cellphone chargers left unattended, including overheating computers that ignite and children who play with matches or lighters near flammable objects
Head of Auto and General Insurance, Ricardo Coetzee said preventing house fires is ensuring that heating equipment is properly maintained, “Fireplace-related incidents account for a big portion of house fires in South Africa and often these are due to poor maintenance.”
Here are some tips to avoid house fires:
- Appliances and other devices that generate heat, make sure that they are maintained well
- Take gas bottles which include heaters, braais and stoves to a gas retailer to have them checked for leaks on a regular basis
- Do not leave heaters, electrical blankets, candles and stoves unattended and on overnight
- Do not overload one single power source
- Unplug and switch off all electrical appliances that are not in use
- Children from a young age should be taught fire-safety principles
- If possible, instal smoke detectors
- Have a fire extinguisher available, preferably near the kitchen
- Emergency contact details should be within easy reach, contact emergency services as soon as possible before the fire is out of control
- Minimise the clutter in the home, it could add fuel to the fire and flammable materials must be kept away from heat sources.
Coetzee concluded that homeowners and tenants should have insurance in place to cover you in unexpected events of a fire.
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