Civil Defence warns of fire accidents during Ramadan

In view of high incidents of kitchen fires during Ramadan, the General Directorate of Civil Defense has urged all citizens and residents to take the necessary precaution against the risks of fire accidents that might occur during the preparation of breakfast and Suhoor in the holy month.
Warning of the possible risks, an official from the directorate said the risks are more likely to occur during the holy month in home kitchens. 
“They include accidents caused by explosion of microwave devices because of using metal pots to heat foods, and fire incidents caused by oil leak during frying food on gas stoves,” he said.
The official from the media center stressed the importance of proper action when dealing with kitchen incidents and in cases of injury, calling on citizens and residents to follow Civil Defense instructions to avoid such risks.
During Ramadan in 2014, the operations and communications department of the Civil Defense in Jeddah received notifications of more than 50 incidents of fire in home kitchens.
The fires were a result of high temperatures and failure on the part of housewives to follow proper methods of preparing, heating and frying foods.
More than 30 percent of the fire accidents occurring in home kitchens during Ramadan were also the result of increasing electrical loads owing to the use of a number of appliances simultaneously to prepare meals, in addition to gas leaks caused by negligence in carrying out routine inspections and maintenance of gas pipes, according to official.
Housewives are urged to follow the instructions provided by the Civil Defense on their website to avoid such incidents. The Civil Defense offers a range of programs and preventive education tools that can help avoid the risk of household accidents which can occur while cooking.
Lack of awareness by domestic household workers in dealing with kitchen appliances increases the number of accidents, such as those caused by microwave ovens, gas leaks and increased heat of cooking oil during frying.
He recommended using electric frying appliances to avoid the risk of ignition of oil and to avoid wearing baggy clothing made of highly flammable materials while preparing meals. He also advised housewives to ensure the power supply is turned off when cleaning appliances to ensure safety.

Source : Arab News