How do fires start and spread
Fire is very dangerous when it is not controlled. Fires can start from paraffin, electricity and gas. It can spread easily, especially when it is windy, dry and hot. Uncontrolled fire can spread from one house to the next, especially when people’s houses are close together.
Preventing Fire at home
- Do not overload plug points for electricity.
- Do not leave pots unattended on the stove when cooking.
- If you are using candles, make sure that it cannot fall over easily. One way to do this is to fill a jar with sand and put the candle in that.
- Make sure all candles, burners or stoves are off when you go to sleep.
- Teach your children to be very careful around fires and things that can cause fires.
- Keep matches and lighters away from children.
- Make sure the stove cannot fall over.
- Do not leave children alone when there is a candle or stove on at the house. Kettles are also dangerous. Many children pull on kettle cables which can result in the kettle pouring hot water on the child and burning them.
What to do in case of a fire
Try not to panic. If a fire starts in the cooking pan, do not throw water on it. Switch off the heat of the stove or put a lid on the pan. You can stop fires by throwing soil or sand on it. If there is a serious fire that is spreading, contact the fire department by phoning 10177.
Try to get you and those around you to safety.
If someone has been burnt, put the burned part of the body under running tap water and call an ambulance if the burns are bad and cover a large area. Do not put butter or oil on the burned area.
