WHY ARE THERE MORE DOMESTIC FIRES DURING WINTER?
WHY ARE THERE MORE DOMESTIC FIRES DURING WINTER?
Winter is here!! Appliances such as electric blankets, heaters etc get pulled out of storage and plugged in around many homes.
These appliances, as well as clothes dryers, fireplaces and braziers help keep us comfortable through the cold months of winter, but misuse, faulty wiring and leaving them unattended can lead to preventable fires and potential tragedy.
Who is at risk?
Some people in our communities are at more risk of dying in a house fire, particularly
- People aged 65 years and over;
- Children aged up to five years;
- People not in the workforce;
- People living in rental properties; and
- Adults affected by alcohol.
However, everyone’s risk increases over the winter months and extra care and precautions need to be taken.
What can you do to reduce your risk?
With research showing that more people die in house fires during winter months than any other time of the year, it is important to protect yourself – so the start of the chilly season is the ideal time to install and maintain alarms. Security bars and screen doors can block your escape in a fire. You need smoke alarms and a home escape plan to ensure you don’t get trapped by your home security.
Simple steps such as developing an escape plan and keeping smoke alarms in working order can give you the vital seconds you need to survive a fire. Firefighters also recommend that you adopt some simple safety habits such as:
- Turning electric blankets off before getting into bed;
- Ensuring appliances are turned off at the wall and home fires extinguished when not in use;
- Getting your appliances checked for frayed and damaged cords by a licensed electrician;
- Keeping clothing at least one metre away from heaters when drying inside;
- When using a clothes dryer, make sure the lint filter is cleaned out after every cycle. Remember to clean behind the dryer and the exhaust port at least every 6 months
- Use gas heaters and gas stoves properly particularly when lighting the fire. Light the matches first before opening gas and not the other way round.
- Teach children how to use the hot water bottle properly especially how to “breathe” it so that it doesn’t burn them.
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