Ward committee member worried about fires
Residents are urged to be aware of the dangers associated with fire.
This call has come after several homes and shacks were recently destroyed by fire.
Mrs Gaynor Paynter, ward 118 committee public safety representative, is leading this call for greater awareness.
She said during her tenure in the public safety role on the ward 118 committee, there have been a number of fires and she is concerned.
“There was a shack fire at the Jumpers Informal Settlement in Malvern and two house fires recently. Clr Alison van der Molen arranged fire safety training at Jumpers. She also arranged a demonstration on wonder boxes, which can be used to drastically reduce cooking costs and fire risks. I recently made contact with the Emergency Management Services inspectors in Region F. We will be arranging further fire safety training,” said Mrs Paynter.
She shared some fire safety tips. She asked people to read and cut out the safety tips and share them with others.
Tips she shared were as follows:
- Watch paraffin stoves closely. Do not cook near a window with a curtain.
- Ensure the stove does not fall over. It may burn people and cause a fire.
- Secure candles and make sure they cannot fall over. Extinguish candles before you go to sleep.
- Educate your children about fire safety and ensure the right measures are in place should there be a fire.
- Do not discard cigarette butts unsafely. Pick them up should you see others do so.
- Illegal and faulty electricity connections can also cause fires.
- Ensure there is a bucket in close proximity so that you can fill it with water or sand to extinguish fires.
- The foil inside five litre wine and juice cartons can be filled with water and kept nearby to throw on fires.
- Build shacks at least three metres apart to prevent fires from spreading. Ensure this space is always accessible and in the event of a fire, the escape route is not blocked with possessions.
- Do not prevent or disrupt the work of fire crews fighting fires.
Join Mrs Paynter on https://www.facebook.com/Ward118CommitteePSP to keep in touch with what is going on in your surroundings.
