The month of March kicks off summertime in the Philippines
but since it’s the hottest month of the year, it’s also when fire
incidents are highest.
Any
type of home is again at a high risk of house fires during these times.
It is almost every day that people hear a house, a building and
sometimes a whole community burned down to nothing. But these
destructive fires can be prevented from happening if we know the most
common causes.
Cooking Equipment
Most
kitchen fires occur because people get distracted and leave their
cooking unattended. It can take just seconds for a pot or pan to cause
fire when it overheats or splatters grease.
Prevention: Always
stand by your pan because it’s important to give anything that’s on top
of your stove your undivided attention. Keep LPG tank outside or in a
well-ventilated area. Keep combustibles such as dish towels, oven mitts
and paper towels away from heat sources.
Electrical Equipment
A
lot of people think that faulty wiring is the root of the fire. What
actually happens is the wires or circuit becomes overloaded due to an
increase in the load the circuit carries without changing the size of
the wires. The wires then tend to overheat in the circuit caused by the
additional load.
Prevention:
Don’t overuse an extension cord. Just because there is an open plug
doesn’t mean you can plug anything into it. Check your electrical
appliances for loose or frayed cords/plugs. Lastly, don’t run electrical
wires under rugs or heavy furniture.
Careless Smoking
In
the Philippines, smoking is the fourth leading cause of fire. People
who smoke, especially in bed, tend to become drowsy or fall asleep and
forget to extinguish their cigarette properly.
Prevention:
Use big, deep ashtray and never place an ashtray on or near anything
that will burn. Furthermore, check furniture for fallen
cigarettes/embers.
Open Flames
Unattended burning candles or kerosene lamps that are placed near flammable or combustible material is a fire waiting to happen.
Prevention:
Blow out candles before leaving the room. Place them in a sturdy holder
on a level surface and make sure they are far away from combustible
materials and out of reach of children or pets.
Children Playing with Fire
Out
of curiosity or mischief, children cause fires. Kids playing with
matches or lightersdon’t fully comprehend the risks they are taking
which is a cause for concern.
Prevention:
Check whether they have matches or lighters in their room or
possession, smell sulphur in their room, and/or find toys or other
personal effects that appear to have been melted. Supervision is
incredibly important as well as teaching your kids about fire safety.
Flammable Liquids
There
are many products left around the home that are highly flammable such
as fuels, solvents, cleaning agents, thinners, adhesives, paints, and
other raw materials that can ignite or explode if stored improperly.
Prevention:
Don’t place flammable liquids near a heating source (vapours can easily
ignite from even just high temperatures or weak ignition sources) but
rather store them outside the home in a cool ventilated area, in tightly
sealed containers.
Faulty Wiring
As
houses age, the electrical wiring can become “worn out,” leading to
dangerous predicaments within the walls that homeowners cannot see. A
clear warning sign is when a fuse blows or the circuit breaker trips
frequently.
Prevention: It is well worth the investment to have a certified electrician examine the house’s electrical system.
Lighting
Installing
a bulb with a wattage that is too high for the lamps and light fixtures
is a leading cause of electrical fires. Sometimes when the bulb burns
out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire.
Prevention:
Regularly check light fittings for heat build up. Discard lampshades
that are close to light globes & lamp bases that can be knocked over
easily.
Overnight charging
People
should avoid leaving devices to charge unattended, especially
overnight. Hearing about phones or tablets exploding or busting into
flames isn’t so uncommon. A battery may explode due to overcharging
while you’re sleeping and set fire to your house.
Prevention:
Only use original batteries and chargers. Substandard batteries don’t
include the fuse which disconnects the circuit in the case of
overheating of the battery. Don’t leave your device in hot areas,
especially if it’s charging. It only makes overheating problems worse.
Ambient temperatures affect batteries a lot.
10. Pets
You
wouldn’t believe how easy it is for a dog to get in trouble with fire.
Dogs can climb up and accidentally hit the stove knobs potentially
making an extremely flammable situation or puppies can chew on
electrical cords which can electrocute them and consequently cause fire.
Prevention:
When you’re not home and when you’re not awake, use crates to prevent
new dogs or puppies from chewing on electrical cords. This will also
prevent them from urinating on electrical objects and starting a fire.
Remove stove knobs when you’re not using the stove or invest in knob
protectors to prevent stovetop fires.
Always
remember that if a fire should occur, you and your family’s safety will
all depend on calm, rational actions. The first priority should be is
to get you and all your family members out of the house as quickly as
possible. When it comes to house fires, timing is everything.
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