Fire is running along the wires…

In the private sector, fires often occur due to the poor condition of electrical wiring. A slight overload is enough, and old wires, installed several decades ago, begin to heat up, igniting wallpaper (in private homes, wiring is often laid directly under it), and then nearby furniture. Violating the rules for operating electrical appliances or using them in a faulty state is no less dangerous. In some cases, this can be fatal. For example, this happened in Lida. Due to a short circuit in the TV's electrical wiring, the house of a 90-year-old pensioner caught fire. Concerned neighbors called the rescuers. During the firefighting, the owner was found without signs of life. By the way, the burnt-out TV had been in use for over 25 years.

An electric heater became the cause of death for a 63-year-old resident of the village of Plashevo. The man was drying clothes on it. This led to the ignition. By the time rescuers arrived, the house, which was used for seasonal living, was already engulfed in flames.

An 86-year-old resident of Volkovysk got off with a relatively mild scare. The attic of his house was burning with open flames when a passerby noticed it and called rescuers. Within three minutes, the first fire department unit arrived at the scene. By that time, there was already a threat of the flames spreading to neighboring structures and parked cars. By the way, the unsuspecting owner was... at home. Seeing the fire trucks entering the yard, he ran outside. It took rescuers less than 15 minutes to extinguish the fire. The house remained habitable. The fire is presumed to have been caused by a short circuit in the electrical wiring.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations always pays attention to making the homes of elderly people, who are at particular risk, fire-safe. However, the participation of adult children living separately from their elderly parents is also necessary in this matter. Sometimes, minutes spent on resolving minor household issues can save the life of a loved one.

When operating electrical equipment, you must not:

• use electrical equipment not of factory manufacture;
• leave it connected to the power supply unattended (except for electrical equipment for which its operation without supervision is permitted by the operating documentation);

• use it improperly and in conditions not corresponding to the fire safety requirements of the operating documentation, with a damaged cable (wire), switch, sockets, and other electrical equipment;
• exceed the rated current load of the extension cord.

Install an autonomous fire alarm in each living room. It will help detect signs of fire at an early stage and, with its sound, the strength of which is capable of waking even a sleeping person, will alert household members to the danger and thereby save their lives.