These are the causes of home fires, according to authorities

Ahmed Ali from the Dubai Police’s forensic department said that 21 per cent of the 217 fires incidents investigated in 2015 and beginning of 2016 took place in apartments and villas.

In 2016, three fires took place due to carelessness by children, as opposed to seven last year. In most of these cases, fires occurred due to children playing with cigarette lighters.

“In one case, a fire was caused after children found a burning tissue paper and threw it from the balcony which then landed on the balcony below where clothes were kept out to dry.”

He also said that according to forensic investigation reports, negligence by families was found to be a common factor in residential fires. “Means of ignition are put in places easily accessible to children, especially by parents who smoke,” said Ali.

Sometimes, he said, it’s challenging to determine the cause of the fire. “Sometimes the use of an extinguishing system to douse the fire may remove the evidence from which we can determine the cause and source of the fire,” he said.

Ali said that fire experts also determine the cause of the accident by taking testimony of witnesses and owners or residents.

He pointed out that in one incident of fire in a washing machine, residents said that the fire was a result of a short circuit, but after examining the site, it turned out that the fire was caused by a candle placed on the washing machine.

Ali said that at home people use poorly maintained transformers. Electricity adaptors and bad connections also cause fires as some families utilise workers who are not qualified to instal electricity wires. Poor quality of switches can also be a cause of fires.

Major Adil Al Mazmi from the Sharjah Forensic Laboratory said investigations into residential fires showed that main causes were improper installation of electrical network; poor quality water heaters; storing of LPG cylinders near flammable sources; and poor quality of exhaust fans.

Investigations revealed that most fires were caused due to negligence and failure to maintain fire equipment. Failure to instal fire safety devices was also another major cause. In many cases, fire were caused by incense burners kept near curtains and other flammable materials such as wooden tables. afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

amira@khaleejtimes.com fires took place due to carelessness by children this year, as opposed to seven last year