Fire Hazard Season: Heating Safely
According to statistics, fires caused by faulty or improperly operated stoves occur almost daily during the autumn-winter period. In 2021, due to violations of stove operation rules, there were 1076 fires (in 2020 – 970, in 2019 – 1171). Typically, the majority of fires in residential buildings occur during the heating season. Stories of homeowners who heated their stoves and ended up becoming living torches are not uncommon.
For example, on December 1 of last year, a pensioner from Slonim did not close the stove door, and burning coals fell onto the preheating sheet where firewood was lying. Within minutes, they ignited. The owner tried to extinguish the flames, but his clothes caught fire. In shock, the pensioner ran out onto the porch. The man was incredibly lucky: at that moment, his brother entered the yard and reacted instantly: he filled a bucket with water and extinguished the flames. The victim, with burns covering 40% of his body, was hospitalized.
A similar story occurred with a resident of the village of Korenech in the Krichev district on February 10 of last year, which ended tragically. The man was lighting the stove using flammable liquids. Not only the firewood ignited, but also his clothing. The pensioner sustained burns incompatible with life.
Due to negligence, a resident of the village of Monkovichi in the Mosty district was injured. She was warming herself by the stove without closing the stove door. Her clothing caught fire. As a result, the pensioner was admitted to intensive care with burns.
However, more often, the houses themselves become the "torches".
Late in the evening on November 11, a report was received about a fire in a house on Ozernaya Street in the village of Osinovka, Dubrovno district. Upon arrival at the scene, the emergency services observed open flames on the roof of the wooden house. The house owner, born in 1942, a pensioner, lived alone at this address. Emergency workers, as part of the smoke and gas protection unit, carried the house owner out in an unconscious state, who was found in a room on the bed. Before the ambulance team arrived, emergency workers conducted resuscitation measures. The arriving paramedics confirmed the woman's death after resuscitation efforts. The fire was extinguished by the emergency services: the roof of the house was destroyed over the entire area, and the property was charred. The cause of the fire is being established. The considered version is a violation of stove operation rules, heat-generating units, and devices.
On the evening of November 21, a report was received about a fire in a house on Parallel Street in the village of Protas-Kukrovsky, Glubokoe district. Upon arrival at the scene, the emergency services observed open flames in the house, with the roof and ceiling collapsing. During the firefighting, emergency workers found the charred body of the house owner, born in 1931, who lived alone in the house, under the collapsed building structures near the stove. The fire was extinguished. The roof, ceiling, walls, and property were damaged in the house. The cause of the fire is being established. The considered version is a violation of stove operation rules, heat-generating units, and devices.
On the afternoon of November 24, a report was received on the "101" hotline about a fire in a house in the village of Starye Kryuki, Miory district. Upon arrival at the scene, there was heavy smoke inside the wooden house. Upon arrival, no signs of fire were observed externally. Rescuers immediately entered the house and saw a man lying on the bed in the living room. With the help of a mask for the rescued, they carried him outside and handed him over to the medics. The man, born in 1959, was hospitalized in a medical institution with poisoning from combustion products. The fire was extinguished by the emergency services: the ceiling and wall were damaged in the house. The cause of the fire is being established.
The considered version is a violation of stove operation rules, heat-generating units, and devices.
The main fire safety requirements that citizens must follow to prevent fires when operating stoves are regulated by fire safety rules:
1. The operation of a faulty stove is not allowed! The stove must be properly constructed and functional – this is the main thing!2. The stove's chimney must be periodically cleaned of soot (depending on operating conditions), but no less than once a year. Cleaning can be done either by the owner of the residential building where the stove is located or by engaging specialized organizations.
- When operating stoves, the following is not allowed:
– to operate the stove in the presence of a collapsed fuel chamber masonry;
– to use flammable and combustible liquids (gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, etc.) for ignition;
– to operate the stove with open doors, except in cases where the stove design allows for operation with an open fuel chamber (for example, a "Russian stove," fireplace);
– overheating it;
IMPORTANT! |
Overheating of the stove is a condition in which the stove body and chimney (masonry, bricks) are destroyed due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures during its operation. The cause lies in the high intensity and duration of the stove operation. |
– to place flammable substances and materials on it or at a distance that can lead to their ignition;
IMPORTANT! |
The safe distance depends on the temperature of the stove surface and the type of flammable substances and materials. It is recommended to maintain a distance of at least 10 centimeters from the stove surface, and at least 100 centimeters from the fuel opening. |
– to operate the stove with coal, coke, and gas not intended for these types of fuel;
– to leave a burning stove unattended.
Additionally, the stove, the surfaces of the chimney, and the walls through which the flue channels pass must be functional, without through cracks, and to identify early-stage cracks in the chimney in the attic space, they should be plastered and whitewashed. Annually, before the heating season, a visual inspection of the stove and chimney (channels) must be conducted.
Ash, coals, and slag removed from the stove must be doused with water until completely extinguished.
IMPORTANT! |
Do not close the chimney dampers of the stove until the fuel is completely burned or the coals (ash) are removed from the fuel chamber. This can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. |
Lighting the stove after a long downtime
A cold stove that has not been used for a long time may cause problems when lighting due to lack of draft. To avoid this, the first step is to check the chimney for blockages and cracks in the masonry, as well as to clean it of soot. After these measures, you can proceed to light the stove.
To avoid smoke in the room when heating the stove using paper ignition, small crumpled pieces of dry paper should be used. As they burn, new pieces should be added, followed by small wooden splinters, and only after they ignite and draft is established should firewood be added.
Take care of the safety of elderly parents
Often, stove fires occur in homes where elderly people live. The reasons are not only violations of fire safety rules and carelessness due to poor eyesight and memory. Due to their age, elderly homeowners cannot whitewash the stove, climb under the ceiling to seal cracks in the chimney, or clean it, and only their children, who do not always find time to come and help, can take care of them. If your parents live in the village, take care of their safety: help them tidy up the stove and install autonomous smoke detectors in the living rooms.
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