Multiple Durban property fires raise concerns over frequent power outages

Durban residents luckily escaped injury in two separate incidents on Saturday when parts of their home caught alight – in Glenashley, Durban North and Crossmoor, Chatsworth.
“Our control centre was alerted early on Saturday morning to a fire which occurred in an outbuilding on a property in Glenashley,” Blue Security community and media liaison officer, Andreas Mathios said. “The alarm went out when smoke could be seen coming from an outbuilding, which was occupied by a tenant who was not home at the time. The Durban North fire department and SAPS also responded to the scene and the fire was extinguished,” he said. No one was injured and the cause of fire is unknown at this stage.
In a separate incident in Chatsworth, family members were lucky to escape unharmed when a fire began in one of the home’s bedrooms on the first floor. The residents were alerted by an observant passerby who had noticed smoke coming from a top-floor window. Most of the residents’ belongings were salvaged, partial damage occurred to the home and luckily no-one was injured in the blaze.
“With routine power outages now a regular occurrence and a part of our daily lives, we need to be aware that some appliances can be a fire risk when electricity is restored,” Mathios said. “Be sure to switch off all appliances when load shedding begins, and turn them on one by one when power is resumed. This should lessen the fire risk during a power outage or damage to appliances due to power surges when the power comes back on.
“Also be aware of interruptions in cooking during power outages. Remember to turn off the stove or oven when load shedding begins, to avoid potential hazard in the kitchen when power is resumed and the cooking process is, possibly, unattended,” he said. “At night remember to be very careful of open flames from candles. A fire can start, and spread, so quickly due to an overturned candle or one which is too close to a curtain or other nearby flammable material.
Finally, be aware that generators can cause fires if there’s a faulty connection to the home’s power supply or of it has not been correctly installed. “Generators that switch on automatically also pose an increased risk and must be carefully monitored,” Mathios cautioned.