2,411 vehicle fire incidents in three years: PACDA

The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) doused 2,411 vehicle fires in three years. A PACDA official said, “Of the 2,411 cases, 715 vehicles caught fire in 2015, 802 in 2016 and 894 in 2017.”

One of the main causes of fire was neglecting periodical maintenance of vehicles, he said. “The other reasons include driving for long hours without a break, leakage of oil and fuel, increasing electrical load and pressure on engine by adding equipment, and smoking inside vehicles.”

The official said that owners need to adopt simple measures to protect their vehicles from fire. “These include periodic vehicle maintenance, pulling over if the engine is overheated and not parking or stopping near generators or flammable materials.”

He said that some of the other safety measures are turning off the engine and mobile phones when refuelling, keeping fire extinguishers, using only original spare parts - especially radiators - and getting vehicles repaired only at licensed workshops. “In case the vehicle catches fire, stop immediately. Evacuate passengers and try dousing the fire using an extinguisher. Disconnect the battery if possible to prevent further spread. If nothing works, contact the emergency service on 9999 or 24343666.”

Contact the emergency service on 9999 or 24343666