Fire safety warning after Bitou blaze

Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Eight homes were gutted and five more damaged when a fire broke out in Qolweni in Plettenberg Bay last week.

This marks the start of Bitou's "fire season", when blazes become more prevalent during the colder winter months.

The Bitou municipal communication team said the fire broke out in the Ward 3 informal settlement on 5 June.

Bitou emergency and disaster management services responded to the incident and reported that eight homes were destroyed and five others partially damaged in the fire that swept through the area.

Emergency services contained the fire and no fatalities were reported.

"A total of 13 houses have been impacted by the fire. Eight structures were completely destroyed while five were partially damaged," the team said.

The affected families were given emergency materials including blankets, food parcels and mattresses while they were housed at the Bicycle Shed Community Hall overnight, before being handed emergency housing kits to rebuild their homes the following day.

Over the years hundreds of families have been left destitute as a result of fires across Bitou. The Bitou municipality has been running a fire safety campaign as a preventative measure over the last two years.

With winter having arrived, this is the time of year when people's homes are extremely vulnerable to fire, especially in informal settlements, as most people 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 your homes from burning 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 burns 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 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 while smoking 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.