Fires
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
January 8, 2004
Fires, as it has been shown by recent tragic events, remain a major cause of death, burns, injuries and property damage or loss of goods.
In countries such as the United States, fires and burns are among the leading causes of unintentional injury and death at home.
The fact that fires aren't the leading cause of injury and death in Guyana doesn't give us a sense of comfort. Statistics disclosed by Fire Chief Carlyle Washington are distressing, to say the least.
Last year alone, Fire Chief Washington noted at a news conference, 660 recorded fires left 345 people homeless and accounted for the death of five persons. There were 585 recorded fires in 2002.
What is even more disturbing is the fact that of those 660 fires that occurred a year ago, 320 fires were deliberately set, while another 43 fires were the result of suspected arson.
Twenty fires resulted from children playing with matches, and 278 fires were caused by electrical faults.
The Fire Chief also disclosed that 80 buildings were destroyed.
It goes without saying that those fires left hundreds of people jobless, traumatized hundreds of families, almost all of whom lost everything, and caused billions of dollars to the victims.
We'd like to echo the appeals of Fire chief Washington that we take a certain number of precautions in order to minimize the risk of a deadly and destructive fire at home.
By doing this, one insurance company pointed out, "you offer your family, your home and your possessions greater protection from the menace of fire."
Adults need to bear in mind that the very young and the very old are particularly at high risk in the case of home fire. So, considering the many fires resulting from children playing with matches, adults should ensure that matches, lighters and candles are kept away from and out of the reach of children.
The Guyana Fire Service should consider collaborating with the Ministry of Education, and with private stakeholders, to devise mechanisms for the teaching of fire prevention to students and adults, the latter at programmed seminar/workshops.
In these days of technological development, homeowners should also consider installing smoke detectors at vantage points in their homes and check them regularly.
And what about fire extinguishers? We understand that these are a useful piece of life-saving equipment and therefore should be acquired by homeowners as well as by businesses.
Experts warn that smoking in the house is not only bad for one's health but can also be dangerous because it can initiate a fire. Smoking in bed is a potential hazard. So smokers should either not smoke in bed or should make sure that lit cigarettes are completely extinguished before dumping ashes.
Last but not least, the electrical system of a house can be a source of fire if overloaded. That's probably one of the major reasons why there were so many electrical-related fires last year.
Scheduled checks should be arranged to ensure that systems are not overloaded and, additionally, a thorough surveillance of electrical wires should be made and worn-out wiring discarded and replaced.
As we said when we editorialized on traffic accidents, no amount of advice will be of any good if they are not adhered to by people at home and employers and employees in the workplace.
We hope that the statistics on fires in 2003 will bring us to soberness and prompt us to do our best to avoid fires.