Effective Fire Prevention Measures in the Home 2

Although we can do our utmost to prevent fires from happening by isolating the sources of heat from combustibles and oxygen, it is often the unexpected event that catches us unawares. Carelessness Sometimes, forgetfulness can result in an accidental fire. Putting a kettle to boil water on a gas stove and forgetting about it can be disastrous. When all the water has evaporated, the kettle becomes red hot, melt and spread the molten metal around. LP gas leaks are also dangerous. If the fuel-air mixture is in just the right proportion, an explosion can occur when a heat source is introduced in. Many accidents have occurred when a light is switched on in an explosive environment. The correct thing to do then is to free the room of any gas by shutting off the source of the gas and letting in more fresh air into the room. Chemical reactions can also cause heat and fire. Mixing acids and alkalis, mixing components of some household glue like epoxy resins and hardeners can generate quite a substantial amount of heat that can lead to fires. The containers used and the amount of chemical used can have a great effect on the heat produced. Plastic containers are known to melt and burn when large quantities of thermosetting plastics like epoxies are mixed with hardeners. Fires are also known to be started by the careless smokers who throw lighted cigarette butts indiscriminately. Many bush fires are started this way. Some areas are especially vulnerable to careless acts like these. People working in the garage at home should be very careful not to cause a fire, especially with open petrol cans and other volatile fuels around them. Sometimes, smokers fall asleep while smoking, and their bed or sofa catches fire. The rubber foam mattress used for bedding can catch fire easily. Although most electrical equipment is quite safe as far as fire is concerned, the use of sub-standard and poorly designed equipment may give rise to overheating and fires. Carelessness in the area of electrical appliances can cause fires as well as electrical shocks. Many households use multiple power points because they have many electrical equipment that must be used at the same time. Videos, television, fans, radios, and fancy lights may occupy only one electrical socket. When a multiple adapter is used, usually the connection pins cannot be fitted very tightly. The loose power connections are a source of sparking and deterioration of the insulation materials and can lead to fires. This will be worst if high powered appliances are used because the electrical current drawn from these will be very much higher and so the wires and connections gets hotter. Preventive Measures Since we know that all the three conditions of heat, fuel and oxygen must be present in order for a fire to start; our basic fire prevention strategy must be to keep them isolated from each other. Heat sources must be kept away from combustible materials and if possible, from oxygen. We should take a critical look at all the sources of heat in the home. They are the potential fire hazards. It is good to make an audit of our own homes and make a list, or at least be aware of all the heat sources in the home. Electrical wiring, appliances, gas stoves, kerosene lamps, candles, electrical light bulbs, ovens, electrical kettles, barbecue fires, burning garden refuse, and so on, are some of them. Even spells of dry weather should be looked at with vigilance. The sources of heat are many. Below are some of the sources of heat that we have to exercise caution, so that we can be especially careful not to let them come into contact with combustibles: