Top ten causes of a home fire....


Three key causes of burns in impoverished developing world-homes are candles, stoves and other room warming devices like the coil  for mosquitoes and all..
What can be done to  curb this situation? Just a few weeks ago, a building that housed over 7 different families went up in flames.. Sources confirmed that a little girl whose mother is a petty trader, lit a candle and placed it under neath the bed...oops!! the house went up in flames.

 Cooking Equipment.....
     

     When a pot of pan overheats or splatters grease,it can take seconds to cause a fire . Stay in the kitchen when cooking, especially if using oil or high temperatures : most kitchen fires occurs because people get distracted and leave their cooking unattended. Keep combustibles (e.g dish towels or paper towels) away from heat sources.

 Heating Equipment.......
               Have your furnace inspected annually by a qualified technician and your chimney cleaned and inspected annually. Keep portable heaters like your electric cookers and coils at least one meter away from anything that can burn (including furniture, curtains and you) and do not use your heaters to dry shoes or clothes. If you can, install a carbon monoxide alarm system to alert you of any deadly carbon monoxide gas.

 Careless smoking.......
   Make the bedroom off limits to smoking and if possible, supervise smokers who may become drowsy (e.g on medications, drinking) or forget to extinguish their cigarettes. Use large deep ash trays on or near anything that will burn and check furniture for fallen cigarette or embers. A butt can smolder for hours before causing furniture to burst into flames.


 Electrical Equipment......
Ensure that your electrical equipment do not have loose or frayed cords or plugs and that your outlets aren't overloaded with plugs. Ensure you are not running electrical wires under rugs or heavy furniture and you are not overusing an extension cord.  Be careful about do-it-yourself electrical projects. Many home fires are caused by improper installation so use a licensed installation.

 Candles......
Keep candles in a sturdy holder on a level surface away from combustible materials  and out of reach of children and pet. Blow them out before leaving the room. Do not leave a lit candle unattended to...

 Children Playing with Match sticks....
        Children cause fires out of curiosity. My friend has a 7 year old son and one day she decides to sweep the balcony where she has the fuel-aided machine for generating power, to her surprise she finds the area littered with matchsticks...oops!! Now she understands the reason behind the sudden disappearance of her match sticks from the kitchen..She was embattled..! Keep these objects out of their reach..

 Inadequate wiring.....
Older homes can have inadequate wiring which could lead to a major fire as this serves as a potential hazard. Here are some warning signs: Light dims when you plug in another appliance, fuse blows or circuit breakers trip frequently, or when you have to disconnect one appliance to use another. Watch out for these signs and get a professional technician to correct these  abnormalities...Do not manage this situation!

 Flammable liquids.....
Flammable liquids such as your fuel,diesel, kerosene, paints etc can ignite or explode if stored improperly! The vapors can easily ignite from even just high temperatures or weak ignition sources (a spark of static electricity). Do not store a flammable liquid close to the generator set! I just don't get...On a random survey of major homes around the neighborhood, 90 percent has their flammable liquids stored close to the generator set....oops!
Ideally ,these should be stored in a cool,well ventilated place outside the house...

 Christmas Trees/Decorations.......
Usually a magical moment....but could be a very dangerous material. Keep the tree away from all heated sources. Check decorative lights before placing them on the tree and discard any frayed or damaged lights/cords. Near place candles on or near the Christmas tree.

 Barbecues.....
Indoor parties, outdoor parties, homemade barbecues are just great to make the family happy once in a while but we must be care with these. If possible , use barbecues away from your home, deck rails, table cloths and tree limbs.Use barbecues outdoors and not  indoors....Don't even use your garage.....

 Fires can be heart breaking....you could lose everything you have labored for in a flash...

 Stay safe!!!!     *winks*
Living Healthy!!!!!!

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