Fire prevention

Problem:
Extension cords that are overloaded, powerboards and double adaptors, hidden electrical shorts, bad connections and oversized light bulbs can ignite combustible objects and burn down your house. 

Case:
Fire and smoke spread through a single-storey home, killing two in a late-night blaze. Investigators found that an electrical short in a five-outlet powerboard overloaded with seven appliances started the fire. Excessive heat melted plastic insulation, igniting the carpet and a television stand. Fire crews doused the flames and removed a 74-year-old man and a 59-yearold woman from the home. The man had already died of smoke inhalation and the woman later succumbed to second- and thirddegree burns. 

Electrical short circuits, overloading or bad connections generate lots of heat – enough to ignite combustible objects such as wood framing, rugs or even the insulation around the cord or wire. 

While a few of the electrical causes are tough to spot, there are telltale clues that can tip you off to dangerous concealed wiring hazards.

• Electrical cords that are warm to the touch can signal overloading.
• The smell of charred or burning plastic may indicate a poor electrical connection or the use of higher-wattage light bulbs than recommended.
• Frequently tripping circuit breakers may be caused by a defective breaker or possibly a short in the cables in walls or ceilings.

Solution:

• Get your electrician to fit an Earth-Leakage Circuit Breaker.
• Replace undersized, frayed or old extension cords with new ones.
• Don’t piggyback double adaptors.
• Never run any extension cords beneath rugs or carpets.
• Upgrade undersized cords or plug appliances directly into outlets.
• If a circuit breaker trips frequently, ask your electrician to investigate.
• Ask your electrician to inspect fuseboxes with warm covers.
• Check the wattages of all light bulbs. Ensure they don’t exceed the recommended maximum.

4. APPLIANCES 

Problem:
After all the potential dangers of heaters and stoves, the biggest culprits in appliance fires are lint build-up in clothes driers and combustible materials around gas-powered water heaters. 

Case:
Clothes heaped against a water heater started a fire that took the life of a 7-year-old girl. A neighbour who noticed the fire was able to kick the back door open and rescue five other children aged between 2 and 10, but dense smoke made it impossible for him to save the 7-year-old girl. The girl’s mother had popped out to the local shops and left the children in the care of her next-door neighbour – who wasn’t with the children when the fire broke out. 

As water heaters are sometimes in the laundry, clothes tend to pile up against the heater and near its flame. The problem is dramatically worsened if that flimsy cover plate falls off the burner access. 

Drier vents catch fire when built-up dust and lint ignite from the heating elements and create a fire path to built-up lint within the vent hose. Especially dangerous in this case are driers that are vented with flexible vinyl hoses. The vinyl catches fire and lights anything close to it. 

Solution:

• Ensure that the protective cover of your water heater’s combustion chamber is in place.
• Pull the rear service panel from the clothes dryer and clean all the lint from the interior and around the drum.
• Regularly clean lint from the vent line.
• Replace vinyl vent lines with smooth-walled metal ducts.