The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services urges all residents to be especially cautious during these warmer months, up until April, when Cape Town is at a high risk for runaway vegetation fires. The combination of high temperatures and gale-force south-easterly winds in Cape Town is a major contributing factor in the rapid spread of fires.
Vegetation fires
- No fires are allowed on the mountain fringe areas, except in specifically demarcated areas and pre-authorised areas. If you are unsure whether fires are allowed in an area, do not make a fire
- Do not discard burning cigarettes from your vehicle. They are pollutants and one of the causes of vegetation fires. Please dispose of cigarettes in the vehicle ashtray
- Ensure that fire hydrants remain unobstructed at all times, especially by parked vehicles.
Tampering with hydrants can delay a firefighter’s ability to bring a fire under control timeously - Ensure your braai fire is completely extinguished before leaving areas where fires are allowed
- Keep ignition sources such as matches and lighters out of reach of children
- Comply with the legal requirements for burning vegetation off-cuts (please refer to the City’s Community Fire Safety Bylaw available here and the National Veld and Forest Act for more information)
Using electricity safely
- Do not overload your electrical circuits, i.e. don’t keep more than four plugs on one extension
- Service your electrical components regularly and replace faulty ones
- Switch off all electrical appliances at the wall at night or when leaving your home
- When you are cooking (on any sort of stove – gas, electric or paraffin) do not leave the pot on the stove unless you are watching it
- Electrical connections must be professionally installed and properly earthed with the correct circuit breakers installed
Using paraffin safely
- Always handle paraffin with extreme caution, as it is poisonous and can burn your skin even if unlit. Paraffin is often sold in containers contaminated with chemicals such as petrol, or mixed with methylated spirits. This can cause it to flare dangerously or even explode
- Paraffin can cause severe burns, and paraffin stoves that are knocked over or explode are a major cause of injuries and fires in informal settlements. Paraffin also emits harmful fumes when ignited
- Never leave a paraffin appliance unattended. It only takes a second for a gust of wind, pet or child to knock over a light or stove
- Make sure paraffin appliances are on a flat, firm surface
- Do not put a cloth under a paraffin appliance. A child or pet could pull the trailing end and the cloth will then burn, fuelling the fire
- Always have a bucket of sand nearby when using a paraffin appliance. Water will not extinguish a paraffin fire and can make matters worse by spreading the flames. Paraffin fires can only be extinguished using sand or a fire extinguisher
Safety around an open flame
- Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach
- Cut candles in half to prevent them falling over – and use a candle holder
- Do not smoke in bed
How to prevent fires in informal units
- Keep a close eye on paraffin stoves. Don’t cook near a window with a curtain
- Make sure the stove doesn’t fall over, which may burn children or cause a fire
- Make sure candles are secure and can’t fall over. Don’t go to sleep with candles still burning
- Teach children about the dangers of fire
- Watch out for discarded cigarette butts
- Be aware of the dangers of illegal and faulty electricity connections, which also cause fires
- Keep a bucket handy to fill with water so that you can extinguish flames easily.
- Keep a bucket of sand to put out paraffin fires
- Build dwellings a good distance apart (at least 3 metres) to prevent fires from spreading. Make sure this space is kept open
- Keep roads and access to dwellings clear at all times
- Do not block roads with possessions when there is a fire
- Do not prevent or disrupt the work of fire crews fighting fires
General safety
- Keep a well-maintained fire extinguisher in your home, and know how to use it
- If you have a garden hose, keep it rolled up and ready in case of fire
- Where possible, have more than one exit from your house
- Have an escape plan, and make sure that the whole family knows the plan
- Do not park in the way of a fire hydrant (and remind your neighbours and visitors to do the same)
Firefighters
Remember to always call for the City’s Fire and Rescue Services via 107 before making any attempt to fight a fire yourself.
If your clothing catches fire, start the ‘stop, drop and roll’ procedure:
- Stop where you are
- Drop to the floor
- Roll around on the floor
This will smother the flames and could save your life. If another person catches fire, smother the flames by wrapping them in a blanket, carpet or rug.
- The fire is spreading beyond its origin
- The fire can block your only escape
- You don’t have adequate fire-fighting equipment
- Never try to fight a fire if your path of escape is threatened. Rather evacuate while you still can
- Make sure that your fire-fighting equipment is clean and in working order (check with the manufacturer’s instructions to see how often this needs to be done)
- Modern fire-fighting equipment is highly efficient and sophisticated. However, unless you know how to use the equipment and unless it is in good working condition, easy to find and easy to get hold of, it is quite useless
