Beware of the careless mistakes that lead to fire outbreaks
Oct 14, 2007
THE Fire Brigade trucks number UP 0611 and UP 0156, with sirens and red lights blaring, rushed out of the Fire Department headquarters in Kampala, recently. They were headed to Katazza, Zone 7, Kiswa Parish in Nakawa, where a fire had just broken out.<br>
By Sarah Ulotu
THE Fire Brigade trucks number UP 0611 and UP 0156, with sirens and red lights blaring, rushed out of the Fire Department headquarters in Kampala, recently. They were headed to Katazza, Zone 7, Kiswa Parish in Nakawa, where a fire had just broken out.
The fire was caused by a spill over from a transformer,†Michael Omusugu, the incident commander, said.
This is not the first time residents of Katazza have had problems with the transformer. It is the third time, but it has never got this bad before,†Nelson, a third year student at Makerere University Business School, said.
The transformer started giving a warning beep at around 9:00am and went off at 9.45pm, causing a fire. The Fire Brigade was called in five minutes later.
“We got there in time, but if we had not, all the neighbouring houses would have got burnt. It is only the kiosk under the transformer that was destroyed,†Omusugu said.
Robert Kisubi, the public relations manager of UMEME, said the cause of the fire is yet to be established.
“We got a call at 9:30pm, but I think it came a bit late. The transformer had started dripping. The first thing we did was switch off the power,†he said.
He said everyone should have a fire emergency number and call the Police as soon as a fire breaks out.â€
The kiosk was owned by Geoffrey Bandese. He lost everything that was inside.
Mrs Obantini’s, who had a bar next to the kiosk lost two fridges.
“I do not know what we are going to eat. We have lost all the food,†she cried, while carrying her baby on her back.
However, no one was hurt in the fire.
The chief fire officer, Joseph Mugisa, blamed the incident on carelessness.
“How can anyone in a right mind build a wooden kiosk under a transformer?†he asked.
He said the fire department had had 29 fire outbreaks and 13 attempted rescues in the last month, most of which took place in residential areas in Kampala.
“We fought 29 fires in Kampala in September, and 14 of these were in residential buildings. Commercial premises and rubbish heaps had three outbreaks each.
Electrical installations and restaurants had two. Other fires were in a school, hotel, garage, vehicle and a market,†said Mugisha
Last month, there were six fire outbreaks in Kampala central and Kawempe division. Nakawa, Lubaga and Wakiso had four each, while Makindye Division had five.
The main cause of the fire was wax candles, children playing with matches, left-on plugged home appliances and rubbish burning.
On average, the fire department receives about nine to 12 calls a week.
Mugisha said the fires tend to be less during the wet season due to the low temperatures and less wind.
Below are tips of how to prevent fire outbreaks in a home.
Never build any structure, permanent or temporally, under an electrical installation.
Avoid using candles.
And if you must, keep them out of reach of children and flammable materials like curtains and clothes. Always blow out the candle before going to bed.
Unplug electric appliances after use. At night, check the house before retiring to ensure that appliances are switched off, especially flat irons. lIf you stay in a one-room house, cook from outside.
Mothers should not leave little ones alone in the house. If you must, put all electrical appliances and matches out of reach of children.
If a young one fails to get what to play with, he or she will end up playing with something that can cause fire.
Avoid using hot plates for cooking, unless you are in a big house with a separate kitchen.
Coils are extremely dangerous because they do not have regulators and thermostats. They can easily burn things.
Do not tap electricity directly from the pole. This is very dangerous because it has no circuit- breaker.
Do not store petrol or diesel at home. Petrol is highly-flammable. Always refill from a petrol station.
Due to power shortages these days, most schools, hospitals, hotels, bars and homes have turned to generators. If you are using a generator, here are a few tips for safety.
Always refill a generator from outside.
Switch off a generator and let it cool before refilling it.
If you have to refill your generator at night, never use a candle or lamp. Use a torch.
THE Fire Brigade trucks number UP 0611 and UP 0156, with sirens and red lights blaring, rushed out of the Fire Department headquarters in Kampala, recently. They were headed to Katazza, Zone 7, Kiswa Parish in Nakawa, where a fire had just broken out.
The fire was caused by a spill over from a transformer,†Michael Omusugu, the incident commander, said.
This is not the first time residents of Katazza have had problems with the transformer. It is the third time, but it has never got this bad before,†Nelson, a third year student at Makerere University Business School, said.
The transformer started giving a warning beep at around 9:00am and went off at 9.45pm, causing a fire. The Fire Brigade was called in five minutes later.
“We got there in time, but if we had not, all the neighbouring houses would have got burnt. It is only the kiosk under the transformer that was destroyed,†Omusugu said.
Robert Kisubi, the public relations manager of UMEME, said the cause of the fire is yet to be established.
“We got a call at 9:30pm, but I think it came a bit late. The transformer had started dripping. The first thing we did was switch off the power,†he said.
He said everyone should have a fire emergency number and call the Police as soon as a fire breaks out.â€
The kiosk was owned by Geoffrey Bandese. He lost everything that was inside.
Mrs Obantini’s, who had a bar next to the kiosk lost two fridges.
“I do not know what we are going to eat. We have lost all the food,†she cried, while carrying her baby on her back.
However, no one was hurt in the fire.
The chief fire officer, Joseph Mugisa, blamed the incident on carelessness.
“How can anyone in a right mind build a wooden kiosk under a transformer?†he asked.
He said the fire department had had 29 fire outbreaks and 13 attempted rescues in the last month, most of which took place in residential areas in Kampala.
“We fought 29 fires in Kampala in September, and 14 of these were in residential buildings. Commercial premises and rubbish heaps had three outbreaks each.
Electrical installations and restaurants had two. Other fires were in a school, hotel, garage, vehicle and a market,†said Mugisha
Last month, there were six fire outbreaks in Kampala central and Kawempe division. Nakawa, Lubaga and Wakiso had four each, while Makindye Division had five.
The main cause of the fire was wax candles, children playing with matches, left-on plugged home appliances and rubbish burning.
On average, the fire department receives about nine to 12 calls a week.
Mugisha said the fires tend to be less during the wet season due to the low temperatures and less wind.
Below are tips of how to prevent fire outbreaks in a home.
Never build any structure, permanent or temporally, under an electrical installation.
Avoid using candles.
And if you must, keep them out of reach of children and flammable materials like curtains and clothes. Always blow out the candle before going to bed.
Unplug electric appliances after use. At night, check the house before retiring to ensure that appliances are switched off, especially flat irons. lIf you stay in a one-room house, cook from outside.
Mothers should not leave little ones alone in the house. If you must, put all electrical appliances and matches out of reach of children.
If a young one fails to get what to play with, he or she will end up playing with something that can cause fire.
Avoid using hot plates for cooking, unless you are in a big house with a separate kitchen.
Coils are extremely dangerous because they do not have regulators and thermostats. They can easily burn things.
Do not tap electricity directly from the pole. This is very dangerous because it has no circuit- breaker.
Do not store petrol or diesel at home. Petrol is highly-flammable. Always refill from a petrol station.
Due to power shortages these days, most schools, hospitals, hotels, bars and homes have turned to generators. If you are using a generator, here are a few tips for safety.
Always refill a generator from outside.
Switch off a generator and let it cool before refilling it.
If you have to refill your generator at night, never use a candle or lamp. Use a torch.