A number of people died in fires at their homes in the last month. An 89-year old man died in Alicante, another 60 year-old died in Lugo, an 29-yearold man died in Madrid, a woman aged 44 in Segovia, and a girl aged 4 in Valencia. Emergency services found the victims inside their homes. Some died of smoke inhalation, others from calcination. Although it seems unlikely that a fire would occur in a home, data shows that there are 16 such incidents in Spain every hour. Data from the We Are Safe initiative shows that in 2020, there were 166,092 fires in Spain, with 80% of these occurring in the domestic sector.
According to the Professional Association of Fire Technicians, the living room is the most hazardous room in the house. 53.3% of deaths took place here. 23.3% occurred in the bedroom, and 19.8% in kitchen. The misuse of electrical appliances is the main cause of the fires. Next, braziers, stoves, fireplaces, and other stoves are used. This situation is a rare one, and the lack of knowledge about how to handle a situation like this, Iberext, a specialized company, and Ruben Garrido (La Rioja firefighter sergeant), provide guidance on what to do and not do in the event of a fire breaking out.
Home Fire Prevention Tips
1. Verify the electrical installation
If necessary, check the condition of plugs and cables to determine if they need repair.
2. Don’t overload the electrical grid
Hire a professional to help you avoid saturating the current with appliances.
adequate power
To your requirements
3. Verify the gas installation
If you have a problem, call a certified technician to check the cylinder valve.
4. Take extreme precautions
With the chimneys
It is best to not use it when you aren’t at home or sleeping.
Close curtains , rugs, and sofas .
5. Do not accumulate flammable products
Keep them apart from heat and flame sources.
6. Protect your home from fire
Install it smoke, and you will have a fire extinguisher located in your community.
How to use a fire extinguisher
1.Remove safety pin
Check to see if the gauge needle has moved into the green zone. If it is not in the green zone, it won’t have enough pressure to extinguish the flames.
2. Take on the challenge
Wind direction
Point the hose towards its base
Three meters from the fire and three metres away
3m
3. Press the lever or the upper wing to release the extinguishing agents
To ensure that the device is functioning correctly, it is recommended that you perform a quick test for one to two seconds.
1-2″
4. Move the hose to
One side to the other (zigzag).
Keep the fire extinguisher upright during use. Stop downloading
Fire extinguisher: Release the lever
5. After the fire has been put out, you can go.
The fire extinguisher is on the ground
Firefighters and/or personnel should be aware of this.
Managers will be able to see what happened
Rechargeable batteries are required for any used equipment
iberext
LIDIA CARVAJAL
Home Fire Prevention Tips
1. Verify the electrical installation
If necessary, check the condition of plugs and cables to determine if they need repair.
2. Don’t overload the electrical grid
Hire a professional to help you avoid saturating the current with appliances.
adequate power
To your requirements
3. Take a look at the
Installation of gas
If you have a problem, call a certified technician to check the cylinder valve.
4. Fire places should be treated with extreme caution
It is best to avoid using it when you aren’t at home or sleeping. Avoid putting it close to sofas, curtains ,…, or rugs.
5. Do not accumulate flammable products
Keep them apart from heat and flame sources.
6. Protect your home from fire
Install it smoke, and you will have a fire extinguisher located in your community.
How to use a fire extinguisher
1.Remove safety pin
Check to see if the gauge needle has moved into the green zone. If it is not in the green zone, it won’t have enough pressure to extinguish the flames.
2. Fire upwind
Point the hose 3 meters away from the fire and towards the base.
3m
3. To extinguish the agent,
Press the lever or the top wing.
A one-minute test is recommended.
It takes just two seconds to confirm that it works correctly
1-2″
4. You can move the hose from one end to the other (zigzag).
Keep the extinguisher upright while in use. Release the lever to stop the extinguisher from being discharged
5. After the fire has been put out, you can go.
The fire extinguisher is on the ground
The firefighters and/or the personnel in charge will then know it’s been used and need to be recharged.
iberext
LIDIA CARVAJAL
Home Fire Prevention Tips
1. Verify the electrical installation
If necessary, check the condition of plugs and cables to determine if they need repair.
2. Don’t overload the electrical grid
Hire a professional to help you avoid saturating the current with appliances.
adequate power
To your requirements
3. Take a look at the
Installation of gas
If you have a problem, call a certified technician to check the cylinder valve.
4. Fire places should be treated with extreme caution
It is best to avoid using it when you aren’t at home or sleeping. Avoid putting it close to sofas, curtains ,…, or rugs.
5. Do not accumulate flammable products
Keep them apart from heat and flame sources.
6. Protect your home
fire protection
Install it smoke, and you will have a fire extinguisher located in your community.
How to use a fire extinguisher
1.Remove safety pin
Check to see if the gauge needle has moved into the green zone. If it is not in the green zone, it won’t have enough pressure to extinguish the flames.
2. Take on the fire
In the direction of wind
Point the hose 3 meters away from the fire and towards the base.
3m
3. Press the lever or the upper wing to release the extinguishing agents
To verify, it is a good idea to do a quick test for one to two seconds.
Works correctly
1-2″
4. Move the hose
From one side to another (zigzag).
Keep the extinguisher upright while in use. Release the lever to stop the extinguisher from being discharged
5. Once you have the
Fire, but leave the extinguisher on the ground
The firefighters and/or the personnel in charge will then know it’s been used and need to be recharged.
iberext
LIDIA CARVAJAL
Garrido says that the first thing to do is to stay calm and notify the emergency services at 112 They will give us information about how to respond while the troops arrive. The sergeant estimates that it takes less than two minutes from activation of coordinating center to leave the door with equipped trucks and between seven and twelve minutes to reach affected addresses.
What should you do in those critical moments? Garrido suggests that we ask ourselves the following question: Is there smoke at the evacuation exit? Garrido suggests that if there is smoke in the evacuation exit, we must be restricted to the area of the house farthest from the affected area and where we are visible. On our way, we will close all doors and place towels underneath the doors. We will close the doors and notify emergency services if there is not smoke outside. “All information is crucial.” Expert warns that smoke is the leading cause of death in more than 80% of these fires.
If the fire is located on lower floors, it is best to remain indoors and not attempt to escape. We will call the emergency services and shut down all doors. If we are concerned about safety, the most important message must be “Close the door on Fire”. Javier Elorza is a sub-inspector at the Bizkaia fire service. He warns that a closed door will prevent smoke and fire from spreading to other parts of the house.
Garrido laments, “There is nothing more sad than watching a human life be lost because you don’t have minimal notions about prevention, self-protection, and first aid.”
There are steps we can take to avoid these situations, even though they may not always be possible. First, make sure you check your apartment or office for the proper protection measures. Also, be familiar with how they work. These include an accessible fire extinguisher and a fire blanket. Multifunction smoke detectors are also useful to alert you to any fire outbreak. The motto of the firefighter community is “close a door, place a detector”. This inexpensive and simple device can save lives. We could dramatically reduce the number of deaths from fires by using it,” Garrido says. Elorza expands: “This autonomous device can last up to 10 years, it is easy to place in just 5 minutes and costs less that 20 euros.”
Also, you need to be aware of the location of the emergency exit and ensure that the doors acting as disconnectors (located in the hallway between the front and back doors) are shut.
Elorza has critical remarks to make about the common use of fire extinguishers. “While it can be very efficient in some cases, it can also encourage exposure to a greater risk than is reasonable in other cases.” Elorza points out that water with an additive is the best fire extinguisher to use at home. He concludes that a modern water fire extinguisher can withstand a voltage of 3,000 V at 1m. This provides protection against the household voltage of 240V and the protection provided by the automatic circuit breakers in the installation.
It is best to shut off the gas and electricity once the fire is declared. Avoid spending too much time at the gas cut-off point. It is located near the kitchen’s back, the balcony, or the facade where the supply enters. Elorza says that this can cause you to be in danger and reduce your chances of safety.
Water is not something you can pour on everything. You should never heat oil in a frying pan. The oil is less dense than water, and could result in a boil.
