Common Causes Of Domestic Fires And Tips To Avoid Them

During the harmattan period, we usually record a higher rate of fire incidence in the country which is a serious problem. 

It's true accident happens and most times do so beyond our control, but it's also true that carelessness has been the major cause of so many fire incidence. 

Before we discuss on what we ought to do in the case of an incidence, let's look at some of the common causes of domestic fires with tips on curtailing them:

1. Candles

 It's quite shocking that some of us still make use of candle sticks in our houses. If you must use a candle stick, make sure it is carefully placed on a sturdy holder (as shown above) and far from any flammable object.

With this, even if you do forget to put your candle out after use, you're safe. It's safer not to forget though.

2. Electrical Faults

We are always fond of 'managing' stuffs, but please i beg you, when it comes to electrical installations, spare no cost. Make use of qualified electricians and high quality materials.

Avoid overloading extension cords. Some of us who live in single rooms may want to connect all their appliances to one socket. This is wrong, for the wire could get heated up and melt.

Make sure all connections are firm. Give no room to partial contacts. Partial contacts causes arcing (arcing are electrical sparks and sparks are not good).

Running wires under rugs or heavy equipment is also dangerous as it could lead to physical damaging (bridging) of the wire.

3.  Flammables stored in-house

Don't keep petrol or petrol related products inside the house. Be wary of motorcycles, gasoline generators, thinners, adhesives, gas cylinders etcetera as they can prove to be extremely fatal.

If you must keep such indoors then be sure to eliminate any form of naked flame indoors. No smoking, no cooking just no fire and be sure to take note of your indoor temperature. If it gets too hot, some of those stuffs could self ignite or even explode.

There are also tiny sparks caused by static electricity whenever you comb your hair, rub against your bedsheets or even wear clothes. You'll be glad not to have any of those flammables close-by when that happens.

4.  Smoking

Smoking in itself is bad for your health (depending on what you smoke anyway) and smoking indoors is worse. The cigarette but you dump in the trash without properly extinguishing could smoulder for a while before transforming into flame.
If you must smoke indoors, get an ash tray.

5.  Children

Children could be real danger when no one is watching. When you see something with the tag "keep out of reach of children" please take it seriously. Matches, lighters and all.

6.  Cooking

Whenever you put on your gas or stove, monitor it closely until you turn it off. Don't give in to the temptation of rushing out to go do something else especially when dealing with oily and greasy foods. If you must rush outside, it's best to suspend the cooking.

It is worthy of note that even with all these measures in place, a fire could still start and knowing what to do in such moments could save lots of lives and properties. Here are a few tips on what to do in the case of a fire incident.

1.  Grab your phone. It might be the only weapon you'll have once outside.

2.  Abandon ship. Notify everyone in the residence to exit immediately, hence the need for everyone in the residence to be familiar with emergency escape routes and the need for one if none.

3.  Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth. If you're opportuned to have water within reach, dampen the cloth a little.

4.  Stay close to the ground. Hot air rises hence you'll find more smoke above and oxygen below.

5.  Keep doors and windows shut unless you are using it to escape. Fire needs oxygen to keep burning and you don't want to help the fire hasten things up.

6.  Once you get out of the building call 911. Yes 911 works for emergency situations in Nigeria.

Now the six steps outlined above are for serious fires you happen not to have noticed on time.
Once a fire starts and you happen to be there, the first thing that should come to your mind is grabbing the extinguisher.
Sadly, many homes do not have one and they think grabbing mixing some water with detergent would do just fine. This works but not in every case. If the fire source happens to be electrical and you attempt using the local formula in quenching it, you may not be alive to hear your story on Dem Say Dem Say.
It's best to just have your extinguisher or some form of fire repellent system installed in your home.

God bless Nigeria