PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - A recent fire in Bossiesgif left more than 100 people destitute and sparked a fire safety campaign.
In addition to the fire that burnt down a house in Hornlee on last Monday, devastating blazes in Bitou’s Bossiesgif and Qolweni communities recently left more than 100 people destitute.
Winter is approaching rapidly and this is the time of year when people’s homes are extremely vulnerable to fire, especially in informal settlements, as most people here use some form of fire to keep warm and to cook inside.
Bitou Municipality’s disaster and emergency management services have compiled a few handy tips to help you prevent that your home burns down.
- Keep a close eye on paraffin stoves. Don't cook near a window (because moving air could help a flame spread).
- Keep your paraffin stove and candles away from curtains or any other material that burn easily.
- Never place braziers or coal braai-stands inside the home.
- Keep combustibles at least one metre away from the heat source.
- Refill electrical power generators, paraffin stoves, or lamps while the flammable liquids are cold.
- Illegal electrical connections (izinyoka) are dangerous, as are faulty electrical connections. They can cause fires in the blink of an eye, as safety is usually not a priority when people link up with electricity illegally.
- Ensure that your home is at least three metres (3m) away from the next house. If it is closer, fire can spread too easily. You can still do this if you or a neighbour is yet to build their house.
- Try and keep pathways between houses wide enough for big emergency vehicles to drive through easily.
- Don’t go to sleep with candles still burning. Place candles where they can stand firmly and won’t fall over easily.
- Keep separate buckets that are filled with water and sand handy to douse a fire if one should break out.
- If someone does sustain burns, cover him/her with a blanket.
- Don’t smoke in bed - and don’t just flick away your burning cigarette butt. Yes, most fires happen because someone has not been thoughtful or vigilant when they use an open flame, or even smoked a cigarette.
- If your clothes catch fire, DON’T RUN. It is better to stop, drop, and roll on the ground. This will prevent the fire from continuing.
If there's a fire call these numbers:
- Emergency Services 044 533 5000 (Bitou) or 044 302 8911 (Knysna)
- Customer Care 044 501 3174/5 (Bitou) or 044 302 6300 (Knysna)
- The toll-free number 080 021 2979
Winter is approaching rapidly and this is the time of year when people’s homes are extremely vulnerable to fire, especially in informal settlements, as most people here use some form of fire to keep warm and to cook inside.
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