Saw 70% of deaths

56% of fires in the country are "domestic"

  • The Civil Defense warned against actions that increase the risk of fires in homes. Archival

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Household fires account for the highest percentage of fire incidents in the country. Although the relevant agencies in the country have taken measures to reduce the occurrence of this type of incident, such as the use of advanced systems to detect smoke at an early stage of the fire, we continue to witness unfortunate incidents.

According to the official statistics of the Ministry of Interior, fires have been recorded in the past years in homes and residential buildings, causing the death of people, in addition to many material losses, despite the efforts made by the state to reduce fires and their dangers.

According to official statistics, "house fires" account for 56% of fires overall in the country (66% in 2019 and 2018).

Also, 70% of fire deaths occurred indoors.

The ministry warned that there are high-risk rooms, namely sleeping places and kitchens, in which the homeowner is required to install smoke detectors, while the rest of the house's facilities are classified as medium-risk places.

According to the Ras Al Khaimah Civil Defense Department, the most prominent causes of fires inside the house include the lack of preventive awareness that leads to neglect, the weakness of the infrastructure of old houses, the invalidity of electrical networks and appliances, the invalidity of gas pipes and systems, in addition to unlicensed construction work inside homes, and unsupervised ignition sources.

The Civil Defense Department confirms that the continuation of these causes without treatment, invalidates the effect of smoke monitoring and firefighting systems, and loses their usefulness, pointing to the need to maintain electrical wires periodically and initiate the repair of any electrical short, and ensure that electrical wires are isolated using insulation pipes, and from buying high-quality devices, and disconnecting the power supply from electrical appliances after use, including the computer, and avoiding placing the computer on any flammable materials, during its operation, in addition to ensuring that electricity outlets that can be secured For children access.

In turn, she stressed that the kitchen is one of the main sources of fires, as it contains risky appliances, pointing out that it should not be left for a long period of time while cooking food.

She also stressed the need to cook oils and grease slowly and monitor them while heating them, and to be careful to leave a distance of at least one meter between any source of fire or heat and flammable materials.

She urged making sure to wear proper clothes for cooking, keeping curtains or any fabrics away from the fire stove, keeping lighters in a closed closet and keeping them away from children, and keeping a blanket and fire extinguisher in the kitchen and a smoke and heat detector.

Civil defense experts warned of the increased risks in homes due to the quality of furniture, and the resulting toxic fumes in the event of fires, as well as lifestyle changes, and the preoccupation of individuals and their distance from their homes for a long time, due to work or other circumstances, which increases the risk of home fires.

• Bedrooms and kitchens are high-risk places.

• Poor preventive awareness. One of the most prominent causes of fires inside the house.