Summer is coming and its time to get the barbeque out for the traditional Kiwi feast.
Its also time to think about summer fire safety.
As the sun starts to shine, we also need to be aware of the power of the sun and how that can cause some fire safety issues around the home.
Take the following story that occurred this spring on a sunny Wellington day.
It was a beautiful spring day in Wellington, with the sun shining and the temperature hitting around 18 degrees.
A friend of mine came home to find her house full of smoke.
She had left a tea towel in a metal bowl on the windowsill, and this is what she came home to;
It would seem the heat of the day in the metal bowl has caused the tea towel to smoulder and possibly catch fire.
Thankfully there were no curtains above the bowl, but the heat did leave a burn on the wood of the window frame;
The house was fitted with smoke detectors, that appear to have activated as they batteries were dead when checked (now replaced), but the house is off the road, and during the day it seems no-body could hear them.
This is an event that could have resulted in much worse of an outcome.
Thankfully only very minor damage to the home and the loss of a tea towel were the only results.
So when thinking about fire safety, its not just the obvious that can cause a fire.
Sunlight on surfaces that absorb heat, light reflecting through a water bottle onto a surface, these small seemingly insignificant things can also be a risk.
Remember to install smoke detectors and test them, and if you hear a smoke alarm sounding, don’t be afraid to call 111 and have the Fire Brigade come and investigate.
One day the house that’s saved might be your own.
CHECK ITS ALRIGHT