Times of Eswatini

Vehicle fires – you never expect them!

- - arrive alive

ALTHOUGH it may not be the irst thing that comes to mind when you think a bout c a r s a f e t y, a i re ex t i nguisher could be the difference between life and death.

The thing with vehicle ires is that many people never expect them to happen.

REGULARLY SERVICED

You may have your car regularly serviced and not carry dangerous chemicals, but car ires can happen to anyone.

Car i re s c an be c aused by a multitude of i ssues, i ncluding human error, temperatur­e, mec h a ni c a l a nd e l e c t r i c a l pro b - lems.

I f you’ ve had a pest i s s ue i n the area you park your car, rodent debris can catch ire when t he c a r he a t s up, c a us i ng t he s p r e a d o f l a mes t h r o u g h o u t your vehicle.

Car i res can rapidly spread, reaching places that store petrol and electrical wires quickly. If lames reach any place that holds a large amount of petrol, there is a large chance this will cause an explosion, as petrol is extremely lammable.

The likelihood of you encounteri­ng someone else with a car ire is higher than you experienci­ng one yourself.

As it is not a legal requiremen­t i n t h e c o u n t r y t o c a r r y a i re ex t i n g u i s h e r i n yo u r c a r, n o t everyone will have one.

HELP THEM

If you see someone experienci­ng a ire in their vehicle, you will be able to help them put it out.

Although any size of i re can cause damage, having a ire extinguish­er on hand will help prevent extensive damage to your vehicle – this i s particular­ly useful when it turns out your insurance doesn’t cover the cause of the ire ( eg. electrical).

If a ire in your car does break o ut a nd yo u don’ t have a i re extinguish­er, take the following steps:

 ??  ?? Car fires can be caused by a multitude of issues, including human error, temperatur­e, mechanical and electrical problems.
Car fires can be caused by a multitude of issues, including human error, temperatur­e, mechanical and electrical problems.
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