The poisoning is believed to have resulted from a wood burning stove that was left on overnight while a meal was being prepared for Christmas Day. This caused smoke and carbon monoxide to accumulate inside the house. The families were extremely lucky as this could have been far worse – leading to death.
In Portugal, the vast majority of domestic fires occur during lunch and dinner when you switch on your kitchen appliances. However, the vast majority of deaths and serious injuries occur during nighttime, either from fires or carbon monoxide poisoning, because that’s when you get caught off guard. Often, initial reports from firefighters at the scene indicate that heating equipment was likely the cause.
Household heating is important as a cold environment can have a negative impact on your health. However, in warming your home, be aware of fire risks and remember the following safety tips based on information provided by the ANEPC (Civil Protection) and firefighters.
Heating
Many domestic accidents and deaths are due to the effect of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas which is odourless and colourless.
If using fireplaces, salamanders or gas equipment, maintain the correct ventilation in rooms in order to avoid the accumulation of toxic gas. Before going to bed or leaving home, make sure you have put out wood and charcoal fires, and have turned off heating equipment in order to avoid possible fires. Regularly check the condition of the door seals on wood burning stoves and pellet fires.
If using gas bottles, regularly check the flexible rubber tubes, which must comply with the requirements set out in standard NP 4436 and not exceed 1.5 meters in length. They are valid for five years from the date of manufacture.
Second-hand wood burning fires – These are often found for sale on social media on pages such as “Market Place”. A word of caution – some of these may have broken or worn seals (especially door ropes/seals), rusted parts or loose electrical connections, cracked glass, etc. We recommend that you obtain the assistance/services of a professional to check the items are safe before installation and use.
Smoke, carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguishers
It’s essential that you have a smoke alarm on each floor of your home, and that you check them regularly. Every home should also have at least one fire extinguisher rated for all fire types (look for A-B-C rating on the label).
The latest fire extinguishers are the ABF Foam Fire Extinguishers. They give you the added advantage that they are easier to clean up after use than dry powder, have less conductivity compared to water, resulting in less damage if sprayed on electrical equipment.
If you have a fuel-burning appliance, including an open fire, make sure to have a carbon monoxide alarm installed. You should have one in every room that contains a stove or open fire. Such detectors can save lives in the event of a house fire and/or the presence of smoke. Check the batteries quarterly to ensure the detectors are still functioning.
If someone has symptoms of carbon-monoxide poisoning, contact the anti-poison information centre: 800 250 250 or, in serious cases, contact 112.
Electrical
Many of us have probably already taken our electric blankets out of the cupboard this winter. It’s important you switch off your electric blanket before going to sleep, unless it has thermostatic controls which are safe for all-night use. If any of the wires seem damaged or worn, replace the electric blanket.
To safeguard you and your home this winter, make sure that you don’t overload your power sockets or plug an extension lead into another extension lead. Make sure to check the rating of your extension leads before use; most will be ‘13A’ which means it cannot handle more than 13 amps or 3000 watts of power at a time.
Cooking
Cooking is the source of a great number of house fires. During this time of year, we’re all using our ovens and stoves more often. Pots and pans can very easily overheat if left unattended on the hob, so if you must leave the room, be sure to turn the heat off and move the pot or pan to a heat-resistant surface. Remember to always keep the area around your cooker completely free from combustible items such as napkins, tea towels and food packaging when cooking.
In the event of a grease fire, never attempt to extinguish it with water. Water and oil don’t mix – the water will sink to the bottom of the pan and evaporate straight away whilst causing the burning grease to disperse and spread. Instead, use a fire blanket to smother the flames. If you don’t own a fire blanket, buy one – it’s money well spent. You can also use a large cloth or damp blanket (not nylon or polyester based) as a last resort and cover the fire completely, eventually extinguishing it by the absence of oxygen.
Fireplaces and chimneys
If you have an open fire, be sure to have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year. Ensure stoves and boilers are serviced regularly by a professional. Remember that it is highly unsafe to burn paper, cardboard, plastics and other waste such as boxes of wrapping, on household fireplaces. Attempts to burn wood saw from construction or pallets, bits of vegetation or even a tree can create a very large and hot fire, which damages the fireplace and chimney, where even suddenly it can become an uncontrollable fire.
Candles
There are so many smells that we associate with the winter season; fresh fig, cinnamon, spiced quince and gingerbread, for example. And it has become increasingly popular to use scented candles in our homes all year round. It’s very easy to forget to blow out candles, especially at nighttime. A simple alternative are LED tea lights.
Family
Make sure to keep lighters and matches well out of reach of children and teach them about fire safety. Create a safety and escape plan for the family to follow in the event of a fire. Make sure that family members know how to use a fire extinguisher and fire blanket.
Have a happy and safe New Year!
Read David Thomas’s last month’s article: Don’t let criminals take the sparkle out of your Christmas!
