Most fires are caused by lack of thought or concentration, or by carelessness.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Service your electrical components regularly and replace faulty ones.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Switch off all electrical appliances at the wall at night or when leaving your home.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Electrical connections must be professionally installed.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Never leave a paraffin appliance unattended
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Make sure paraffin appliances are on a flat, firm surface.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Do not smoke in bed!
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Keep a close eye on paraffin stoves.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Watch out for discarded cigarette butts.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Be aware of the dangers of illegal and faulty electricity connections.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
Keep a bucket of sand to put out paraffin fires.
Emergency Contact Number: City of Cape Town 107 / 021 480 7700
General Information: • • • •
This might result in the use of warming devices like heaters and brazier fires. These devices if not monitored properly can and often result in residential fires. Most fires are caused by lack of thought or concentration, or by carelessness. Cigarettes, matches and lighters, candles, electrical faults, heating and cooking appliances and equipment such as electric blankets can all be lethal.
What you can do to prevent fires? The following tips will help keep you and your family safe from fire. Using electricity safely • Do not overload your electrical circuits – in other words, don’t keep more than four plugs on one extension (with your heater, your kettle, your stove…) • Service your electrical components regularly and replace faulty ones • Switch off all electrical appliances at the wall at night or when leaving your home • When you are cooking (on any sort of stove, gas, electric or paraffin), do not leave the pot on the stove unless you are watching it. • Electrical connections must be professionally installed and properly earthed with the correct circuit breakers installed. Using paraffin safely • Always handle paraffin with extreme care, as it is poisonous and can burn your skin even if unlit. Paraffin is often sold in containers contaminated with chemicals such as petrol, or mixed with methylated spirits. This can cause it to flare dangerously or even explode • Paraffin can cause severe burns, and paraffin stoves that are knocked over or explode are a major cause of injuries and fires in informal settlements. Paraffin also emits harmful fumes when ignited • Never leave a paraffin appliance unattended. It only takes a second for a gust of wind, pet or child to knock over a light or stove • Make sure paraffin appliances are on a flat, firm surface • Do not put a cloth under a paraffin appliance. A child or pet could pull the trailing end and the cloth will then burn, fuelling the fire • Always have a bucket of sand nearby when using a paraffin appliance. Water will not extinguish a paraffin fire and can make matters worse by spreading the flames. Paraffin fires can only be extinguished using sand or a fire extinguisher Safety around an open flame • Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach • Cut candles in half to prevent them falling over – and use a candle holder • Do not smoke in bed! How to prevent shack fires
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Keep a close eye on paraffin stoves. Don’t cook near a window with a curtain Make sure the stove doesn’t fall over, which may burn children or cause a fire Make sure candles are secure and can’t fall over. Don’t go to sleep with candles still burning Teach children about the dangers of fire Watch out for discarded cigarette butts Be aware of the dangers of illegal and faulty electricity connections, which also cause fires Keep a bucket handy to fill with water so that you can extinguish flames easily Keep a bucket of sand to put out paraffin fires Build dwellings a good distance (at least 3 m) apart to prevent fires from spreading. Make sure this space is kept open • Keep roads and access to dwellings clear at all times • Do not block roads with possessions when there is a fire • Do not prevent or disrupt the work of fire crews fighting fires
Fighting fires:
Remember always call for the City’s Fire and Rescue Services via 107 before you make any attempt to fight a fire yourself. If your clothing catches fire: Start the stop, drop and roll procedure: • Stop where you are • Drop to the floor • Roll around on the floor This will smother the flames and save your life. If another person catches fire, smother the flames by wrapping him or her in a blanket, carpet or rug. Never stop to fight a fire if: • • • • • •
The fire is spreading beyond its origin You can’t fight the fire with your back to an escape exit The fire can block your only escape You don’t have adequate fire-fighting equipment Never try to fight a fire if your path of escape is threatened. Rather evacuate while you still can! Make sure that your fire-fighting equipment is clean and in working order (check with the manufacturer’s instructions to see how often this needs to be done). • Modern day fire-fighting equipment is highly efficient and sophisticated. But unless you know how to use the equipment and unless it is in good working condition, easy to find and easy to get hold of, it is quite useless!
Emergency Contact Numbers City of Cape Town: 107 / 021 480 7700 Police: 10111 Ambulance: 10177 Red Cross Children’s Hospital Poison Line: 021 689 5227 Disaster Management: 080 911 4357
Photographs by Bruce Sutherland Published by Hello Publications cc
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