As we ease into colder autumn weather with winter just around the corner, more fire risks become present in Cape Town.
This morning, the City’s firefighters sprang into action after a storage facility in Parow saw a raging blaze.
Also read: Pics: Parow storage facility burns out of control as firefighters battle blaze
The City of Cape Town says that a safer winter needs fire awareness to be handy, and expresses that residents need not only be vigilant but also to have emergency plans in place.
According to City Mayco member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, “there is always the risk of a fire, but for households, in particular, this risk is elevated during winter.”
Especially with load shedding at our heels, alternative means to cook and illuminate our home spaces can become hazardous. When load shedding is at bay, heaters, electric blankets and other gadgets pose risks.
Statistics:
The City shared statistics over three years from June-August, which indicated that formal residences challenge informal residences in fire bursts.
According to this data, 120 fatalities were recorded over the three year period for formal and informal residents.
The City’s plans:
The City’s Fire & Rescue Service as well as the Disaster Risk Management Centre has a range of awareness programmes that include distributing fire extinguishers, installation of smoke detectors in informal settlements, donations and sponsorships too.
The Fire and Rescue Service indicates that a point of concern sees fires not being reported through the correct channels – this slows down response times.
Other challenges include accessing informal settlements. Red zone areas mean having to wait for an escort due to attacks, and then there are the causes of the fires in some areas which are usually associated with illegal electricity connections and/or negligence.
Despite the challenges, our Fire and Rescue services have seen firefighters on the uptake, an improvement in equipment and vehicles with modernisation at the forefront, seasonal firefighting services, better training and a more modern approach to call-taking and dispatch.
“The City has managed to protect many more people from becoming victims of fire with the death rate from fire dropping to below 2.5 per 100 000 – a third of what it was at the end of 2005.”
The ownership of fire prevention, however, relies on the people.
Here are some basic fire prevention and safety tips as per the City’s recommendation:
- Keep matches/lighters out of children’s way
- Don’t let candles fall over, rather use a candle holder, or cut candles in half to prevent them from toppling
- Don’t smoke in bed
- Get a fire extinguisher if you can afford it, learn its usage and maintain it
- Keep a bucket of sand handy in your kitchen if you can’t get an extinguisher. Throwing sand over a little fire, especially an oil-related one, can help keep it under control.
- Garden hose? Keep it rolled up and ready in case of a fire
- Try to make more than one exit point ready at home
- Make an escape plan for the whole fam/ residents in your household
- Don’t park in a way that’ll obstruct a fire hydrant
Also read:
COCT urges residents to stop buying City-branded blue refuse bags
Picture: Pixabay