3 Potential Fire Risks During Festive Seasons

 

Do you know about the common fire risks during festive seasons?

 

Shortly after closing off the new year celebrations, the next upcoming major holiday will be the Chinese (Lunar) New Year holidays. Like Christmas, Chinese New Year is celebrated by many around the world.

 

Increased cooking sessions, use of festive decorations, and fireworks are common factors leading to a fire 

 

Increased Cooking

 

Tasty food is topping our mind when comes to festive seasons. Turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Dumplings and Hotpot for Chinese New Year! The list could go on and on.

 

Preparations for a delicious feast can be quite chaotic in the kitchen, from juggling between multiple pots and pans to the long cooking time in the oven. Also, the usage of BBQ grills and portable gas stoves can increase the risk of fire if left unattended.

 

(i) Always ensure that someone is attending to a lit stove, heating oven, etc. Never walk away from any cooking and leaving it unattended! Overheating oil/pots can easily ignite a fire.

(ii) Always ensure that your kitchen is clutter-free. Keep flammable materials such as paper towels/cooking oil away from stoves and electrical outlets.

 

Use of decorative lights or candles

 

Having festive decorations for sure will give a boost to the ambiance in your house. Do keep mindful of fire hazards when putting up the decorations.

 

(i) When lighting candles for decorative purposes, keep them away from children and pets. Ensuring a safe distance between the candles and flammable materials will prevent sofas and curtains from catching fire accidentally.

(ii) Do not keep burning candles unattended. If you are leaving the room or house, always remember to put out the candle.

(iii) Before setting up decorative lights or lanterns, check for any damaged wires and plugs. If there is a trace of wear and tear, immediately replace or dispose of them.

(iv) If you are going to be outside, turn off all decorative lights/lanterns when leaving home. Sparkle from the melting socket caused by the overheating of lights or lanterns will ignite a fire.

(v) Do not overload electrical outlets. Remember to use extension cords to spread out the additional electrical appliances.

 

Overloaded outlets, damaged wires, and plugs will overheat and produce sparks. If any flammable materials are nearby, they will catch fire.

 

Use of Fireworks and Firecrackers

 

Setting off fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate holidays is a common practice in many countries. In the US, people celebrate the Fourth of July with Fireworks. In some countries, people lit Firecrackers to celebrate Chinese New Year.

 

Without proper handling, fireworks and firecrackers pose extreme danger threats. Careless handling not only causes property damage but also could injure and kill you.

 

(i) Always make sure that the use of fireworks and firecrackers is legal in your region. Do not handle them if you do not have the proper knowledge to do so!

(ii) Do not attempt to light any fireworks or firecrackers indoors! Select an area that is away from people, houses, and any flammable material.

(iii) Keep children and pets away from fireworks and firecrackers.

(iv) Always have a fire extinguisher nearby. Extinguish any sparks immediately to prevent a fire from igniting.

 

Fire Safety Measures (For homes)

 

To protect yourself, your family, and friends, always practice caution when executing activities that require fire. Be prepared if a fire occurs. Putting out a fire once detected will prevent the fire from spreading.

 

(i) Install smoke alarms for your home. Residents can be alert of an early-stage fire and smoke, giving them adequate time to extinguish the fire or evacuate before being trapped.

(ii) If you already have smoke alarms installed for your home, it is crucial to check and test them regularly to ensure they are in working condition. Always remember, only functioning smoke alarms are capable of alerting you of smoke and fire.

(iii) Equip your home with a fire extinguisher that remains accessible. Make sure someone in your household or you know how to operate the fire extinguisher.

(iv) Familiarize the evacuation process and educate everyone in your household on what they should do when a fire breaks out.

 

Fire Safety Measures (For buildings)

 

Buildings must have fire safety measures put in place. There will be an increase in the crowd for shopping malls, restaurants, and public transports during festive seasons.

 

(i) All buildings should have fire alarm & voice evacuation systems installed that complies with their local fire safety codes. Carry out regular maintenance sessions to ensure that the systems are in working conditions.

 

Fire alarm and voice evacuation systems provide early fire detection, warnings, and notifications that alert building occupants whether they should immediately evacuate the building during an emergency. Pre-recorded messages can provide instructions for building occupants to evacuate in an orderly manner to avoid a stampede.

 

(ii) Buildings to provide clear directions for escape routes; proper signages to indicate directions of emergency exits, emergency exits to be free of obstructions.

 

As not all visitors will be familiar with the building layout, having working exit signs allow them to locate the emergency exit points at all times. All emergency exits should be clear of obstructions as any blockage will prevent building occupants from evacuating the building.

 

With over 100 years of history in life safety solutions, Hochiki Asia Pacific offers high quality and reliability of products and services.

 

For fire detection or fire alarm-related advice, please do not hesitate to contact Hochiki Asia Pacific for assistance. Please drop us an email at sales@hochikiasiapacific.com, and we will get in touch with you shortly.