Local fire officer warns phone chargers as biggest cause of fires
Phone chargers are the biggest cause of fires, according to one of The Avondhu region’s most senior firefighters.
Eric Dahill of Fermoy Fire Brigade was speaking as National Fire Safety Week swung into action and the region's firefighters are putting the focus on safety at home.
Eric said that the one of the most basic and everyday items these days, plugged in phone chargers, is one of the main causes of house, and particularly, bedroom fires.
“Leaving phone chargers, or device chargers plugged in overnight is one of the biggest causes of fires right now - people need to unplug at night and when leaving the house,” he warned.
The theme of this year’s event centres around the message ‘STOP Fire; Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives’. This message that promotes fire safety is exactly the point
Fermoy fire officer, Eric Dahill, is trying to get across.
“The main thing we push (awareness of) is fire alarms - test them weekly, we recommend testing them every Thursday or Friday and making it a routine and change their batteries every year,” he said.
While fire and smoke alarms are the main preventative measure, Eric highlighted a number of other ways to help avoid a fire in the home setting.
“Chimney fires are another big cause. You should be getting your chimney cleaned three times a year and that goes for stoves as well,” he added.
People are advised to take preventative measures wherever possible, but if a fire has already begun, what are the steps you should take?
Step one, Eric says, is to be prepared: “Have an escape plan, especially for children and know your way out. In the dark, people can get lost even in their own homes and especially if they’re under pressure”.
As you’re leaving the home, close doors along the way, Eric advises, as this can help to contain a fire to one room, meaning less damage is done and the fire is more easily curtailed.
The second step is when you are out, raise the alarm and contact the Fire Brigade on 999 or 112, and thirdly, do not go back in, stay out and stay safe.
“Don’t go back in for belongings or pets. A pet will sense a fire even before you do. We’ll go in for the pets,” Eric said.
Lastly, people are advised to stay on site to meet the brigade when they arrive so as to inform them of the situation.
“Meet the fire service there, usually people take off and then we don’t know if there’s still people inside,” Eric added.
SAFEGUARDS
The key piece of advise being pushed by Eric and Cork County Council’s Fire Service is if you hear the carbon monoxide alarm or the fire alarm, ‘Get Out – Get the Fire Brigade Out – Stay Out’.
With Fire Safety Week under way and more and more people working from home due to Covid related restrictions, this week's campaign is to encourage people to assess fire safety measures in their homes and implement common sense safeguards where possible.
Check your alarms, plug out, and in the event of a fire, 'Get Out – Get the Fire Brigade Out – Stay Out'.