The temperatures are dropping, the nights are long and to top it all off, Eskom has introduced stage 6 loadshedding, which could lead to homes being without electricity for up to four hours at a time.
This means candles, gas heaters, fire drums and paraffin stoves are working overtime.
But left unattended, open flames could lead to fires.
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Speaking to Drum, Working On Fire's (WOF) Zanele Nxumalo explains why winter is considered a fire season. "During this season the grasslands turn warm and dry, weather becomes dry and windy on most days. It is during the winter season that the most serious and extensive fires race across South Africa."
The head of the department for the fire awareness division says people become negligent during this time, as a result, they see an increase in fires.
"Over 90% of unwanted fires are caused by human negligence in many ways by burning garbage or starting a fire on an open space, on hot, dry and windy days, and fire can easily spread and cause a wildfire," she says.
WHAT NOT TO DO DURING THE FIRE SEASON
1. Do not leave open fires or cooking unattended.
2. Do not use heating appliances incorrectly without necessary precautions, they may cause fires leading to loss of life
3. Do not throw away burning cigarette butts
4. Do not keep a fire drum (Imbawula) in the room overnight. Always put out the coals completely when emptying the fire drum.
HOW TO AVOID A FIRE
1. Ensure to leave 1 – 2m space between heating appliances and anything that can burn.
2. Make a defensible space of about 20 meters between your house and the fuel, also depends on the length of the fuel near your property. Always keep the area around your home clear of material that can burn such as firewood, kindling, and garbage.
3. Always have a proper candle stand/holder to avoid candles from falling and causing unnecessary fires. Place candles in a jar filled with sand, in an event that the jar trips over – sand will follow and extinguish the flames.
4. Clear gutters, and drains of dead leaves to avoid ladder fuels.
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5. Check with your local FPA; fire department or municipality for any restrictions before starting an open-air; recreational or outdoor cooking fire. Obtain proper permits, if required.
6. Ensure to put out a fire after a braai before leaving. Cover an open fire with sand to smother it.
7. Always work in an open; cleared area when working with power tools. Power tools like angle grinders; welders and chainsaws make sparks which can ignite the surrounding veld.
8. Ensure that there are no illegal electrical connections that are connected near your home and that electrical appliances are correctly wired. Illegal and faulty electrical connections can get hot and start to burn. Avoid overloading plugs.
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