Johannesburg -
Joburg emergency management services officials are concerned about the rising number of fires and injuries resulting from load shedding and its potential for fatalities.
“Yes, there has been a definite increase in house fires, and we believe load shedding has contributed to this,” EMS spokesman Robert Mulaudzi said. According to Mulaudzi, candles are not being used safely.
On Valentine’ s Day, Northwold resident Patrick Dacey’s double storey family home burnt to the ground after a candle fell to the floor.
Dacey said the fire began after 9pm.
“We had just had supper and my wife took the candle up to our grandson’s bedroom and placed it on the bedside table. I also walked upstairs to my room to read a book.”
His wife, daughter, 16-year-old grandson and a friend (who was going to sleep over) remained downstairs.
While sitting on his bed and reading with a torch, Dacey said he saw a bright light emanating from his grandson’s bedroom: “At first I thought it was the candle. But soon I realised that something was not right. The light kept getting bigger.”
When he opened his door the 67-year-old saw the double bed in his grandson’s bedroom on fire.
After pulling the child to safety, he tried to put out the fire using a hosepipe - but the flames were too strong.
“I couldn’t think properly. I threw some of our valuables outside but that didn’t help as the top floor had already sunk down. My wife’s piano, our cellphones, and identity documents, and valuable family pictures were all lost in the fire,” he said.
He added that when the fire brigade eventually arrived, after having got lost in the neighbourhood, the fire-fighters seemed badly trained.
“I don’t blame them, as they tried their best, but I believe management needs to be taken to task over such things, as we believe some of our belongings could have been saved if there had been a speedier response.”
Dacey said he will never use candles again: “A candle has an open flame, and should never be used in the house. There are alternatives that are much safer,” he said, in hindsight. Since the fire, the family has been living off donations from friends and neighbours, and are waiting for a report from the insurance company.
The Daceys are not alone, however.
Early this month a family in Arboretum, Durban, almost died after their new generator caught fire.
It’s reported that Blackie Swart’s petrol generator had been working for more than an hour and appeared to be functioning perfectly.
However, Swart noticed a flicker of light through the window - which increased in intensity.
The generator was on fire.
The family raced to extinguish the blaze before the petrol tank could explode.
In Bloemfontein, William Engelbrecht, 61, from Navalsig, Bloemfontein, died after Eskom implemented rolling power cuts twice in one day.
Engelbrecht suffered from asbestosis, a chronic lung disease that required him to be kept on two oxygen machines.
The family’s generator wasn’t strong enough to keep the two oxygen machines going through the power cuts.
Mulaudzi added that approved back-up products should always be used.
“Because of their vulnerability and efforts to sustain their power supply, many people opt for alternative and cheaper products which may not be SABS-approved.
“We advise communities to ensure that certified electrical appliances and legitimate products are used at all times,” he said.
If one has to use a candle, out of economic necessity, for example, half a candle should be placed in an empty jar which is one-third buried in sand and then located well away from furnishings, curtains or bedding.
Saturday Star