Now we’ve washed the floor, and we’ve got firewood. But have we remembered to scrub the ventilator, and arrange a fire meeting point with the family? December is a holiday for fires, in a short time two fatal fires were reported in Bergen and Oslo. – During Christmas, people do more of everything that is dangerous, says Trine Sommerlade, head of communications at the Bergen Fire Service. In the new news series “110”, which follows the fire service in Bergen, you can see how little it takes before the fire service has to respond to relatively innocent fire situations in the home. Now the fire service shares its best tips for a fire-safe winter. WELL-COOKED PIZZA: Trine Sommerlade is communications manager at the Bergen Fire Service and shares her best tips for a fire-safe Christmas. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Cooking At Christmas we spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and one of the main reasons for fire calls to private homes is fire on the stove. – Fires happen where people are, says Sommerlade. We like to make Christmas dinner in stressful surroundings, and the donuts are baked in one of the most stressful times. Maybe roast a couple of grandiosas after a slightly late Christmas dinner? It’s mostly about being aware, and being quick to react if something should happen in the kitchen. – Do not extinguish lard with water, for example, says the communications manager. FRIED: If you forget to turn off the frying pan, the result can be something like this. Photo: 110 / news It may also be a good idea to give the ventilator above the stove a good Christmas wash. This is where residues of fat accumulate, and fat burns well. Through the ventilation ducts, the fire can more easily spread to several rooms, and become more difficult to extinguish. In this episode of “110”, the fire brigade have to enter an apartment after a young man fell asleep with the stove on: Old, broken Christmas lights When darkness descends, it might be tempting to have strings of lights and poinsettias in every room and window. Mice that have gnawed on wires, plugs that have been lying in a slightly damp basement, or perhaps you inherited the candles from your grandmother who had had them since her own childhood Christmas? – Old electrical equipment can be a fire hazard. Always check whether the electric Christmas lights are damaged when you retrieve them from the attic or basement. Then it’s time to replace it. Fires with an electrical cause make up a large part of the fire statistics, says Sommerlade. Photo: Privat When you have looked over the Christmas lights and made sure that no uninvited guests have taken them, there are also things you should avoid when hanging them up. – This sounds like a matter of course, but I’ll say it anyway: Avoid kinking the wires above door and window frames – use outdoor lighting outside and indoor lighting inside, she says. Lack of smoke detectors On 1 December each year, Smoke Detector Day is marked. It’s the day to find the curtain stairs and replace the battery in the smoke detector. According to Sommerlade, a well-functioning smoke detector is one of the most important measures to be able to stop a fire in an early phase. It also gives you the opportunity to get out on time. But it’s not just the batteries that should be looked at. – The smoke detector must be a maximum of ten years old, and preferably no more than eight, says Sommerlade. SMOKE ALARMS: Make sure the smoke detector is working and that it is no older than ten years. Photo: Sergiy Tryapitsyn / Colourbox Figures from 2021 show that over 600,000 smoke detectors should have been replaced. – Smoke detectors save lives, and we register that in many of the fatal fires in Norway there have been no working smoke detectors in the home, she says. Have you changed the batteries in the smoke detectors in the last year? Burning wood turns into chimney fires When electricity prices rise and the numbers on the scale drop, many of us sit down in front of the fireplace and light wood. – There has been a general increase in chimney fires in Norway, says Sommerlade. The cause of chimney fires is often because people fire incorrectly and with many things that do not belong in the wood stove. It could be milk cartons, plastic packaging, rubbish and other junk they have lying around, says Sommerlade. FIRE IN THE PIPE: If you fire with wet wood, thick soot forms in the pipe – and it is very flammable. This is from a pipe fire in Bergen earlier this year. Photo: news tips The increased electricity prices have led to many people preferring to fire in the wood stove. Sommerlade is concerned that a lack of wood is leading to more people burning with wet wood. – Then thick soot forms in the pipe, which in turn can lead to a soot fire, she says. In addition, you should be careful where you store the ashes: Ideally, the ashes should be in a fireproof container with a lid and place this outside at a good distance from house walls and flammable patio tables. Candlelight and an open fire – We are very keen to have a cosy, and spend more time at home in the winter months, says Sommerlade. And the table may be covered with candles, which provide warmth and light in the living room, but the open fire is a major fire hazard in the home. OPEN FIRE: Decorations placed around the candles can quickly catch fire. Photo: To Meek / Scanpix We decorate our candles with pine cones and moss and other dry things, preferably sprayed with nice colors and glitter varnish. These are easily ignited, and in combination with candles it can get really scary. Sommerlade says that there is always someone who loses their home at Christmas to a fire. – But it takes very little to make it much safer, she assures.
ttn-69
We make these flammable mistakes at home – news Vestland
