Finding solutions to prevent fires and explosions in mountainous areas

A series of fires

Most recently, on August 1, in Ta Ca commune (Ky Son), a fire broke out, burning down three adjacent houses. At around 4 p.m. on August 1, a fire broke out in the commune.firecausing 3 houses to burn down. The fire started from Mr. La Van Hai's house in Canh village of Ta Ca commune, then spread to the 2 neighboring houses of Mr. La Van Thien and Mr. Vi Van Thanh. "When people saw the fire coming from Mr. La Van Hai's house, everyone shouted to each other to put it out. However, because the house was made of wood, it caught fire very quickly. It took more than 2 hours for the forces in the commune to be mobilized to control the fire," said Mr. Vi Van Man - Chairman of Ta Ca commune People's Committee. However, after the fire was extinguished, all 3 houses were almost ashes, many valuable assets of all 3 households were destroyed in the smoke and fire.

The fire burned down three houses in Ta Ca commune. Photo courtesy of Vi Cuong

Not long before, at around 3:00 p.m. on July 27, in Xang Tren village of My Ly commune, Mr. Kha Van Nhat's house was in the construction phase, completing some items when a fire suddenly broke out. When the fire was high and the smoke was billowing, it was discovered by people living nearby. Although many forces tried to put out the fire, due to the hot weather and strong winds, the house was completely burned down. What remained after the fire was extinguished were only charred black wooden planks and deformed furniture.

Also facing the situation of losing his home due to fire like Mr. Kha Van Nhat's family, Mr. Luong Van Thay in Phia Kham village (Bac Ly commune, Ky Son district) said that his family's house disappeared after only 1 night after a fire broke out at around 2:00 a.m. on May 14, 2021. At that time, the whole family was sleeping on the lower floor of the stilt house when the fire broke out fiercely, forcing everyone to shout for help to escape. "My wife and I saved up and saved for many years, then borrowed a large amount from the bank to build this house a few months ago. The fire spread quickly and was very big, we only had time to hug each other and run out and helplessly watched our belongings being burned down.on fire" - Mr. Thay sadly shared.

Forces supporting Mr. Nhat to overcome the consequences of the fire in My Ly commune. Photo courtesy of Anh Bach

In the first 6 months of the year alone, there were 3 fires in Ky Son district, completely burning down 5 houses, causing billions of dong in damage. In 2020, in communes such as Bac Ly, Dooc May, Na Ngoi... house fires caused many families to lose their homes and property, leaving them homeless.

Identify the cause

According to the authorities and local governments where fires occur in households, the most common cause of fires is electrical short circuits. In Ky Son, there are still a large number of villages without electricity. Therefore, many households make their own electrical systems from streams and streams. “The characteristic of electrical short circuits is that they are unstable, sometimes strong, sometimes weak, so they are very susceptible to short circuits and fires. In addition, households often use poor quality electrical wires with low load capacity, which is also one of the causes of fires and electrical short circuits. The fire at Mr. Kha Van Nhat's house is an example,” said an official of My Ly commune.

In addition to the causes of fires due to electrical short circuits, many cases of fires originate from the lack of awareness and subjectivity of the homeowner. For example, the case of the fire at Mr. Moong Van Lam's house in Huoi Bac village, Bac Ly commune on November 21, 2020. Immediately after the fire, an official from the Bac Ly commune People's Committee said that the cause was determined to be that in the morning the homeowner got up to cook, then forgot to turn off the stove, so the fire caught on flammable objects and caused a fire. Fortunately, when the fire was high, people nearby came to the rescue and put out the fire in time, so the two-room house and many belongings were destroyed.burn downhalf

Strengthen propaganda

Ky Son District Police force participated in fire fighting in Ta Ca commune. Photo: Provided by Ky Son Police

Fires in Ky Son almost always cause great damage to property, especially houses for local people. After such incidents, authorities at all levels as well as functional forces have investigated and determined the cause to promptly advise people on preventive measures.

“The most effective measure is still to increase propaganda to raise people's awareness of protecting their property by limiting and preventing the causes of fire with the motto of prevention is better than cure. Especially preventing fires and explosions caused by electrical short circuits. Because of the dry and hot climate of Ky Son, the mountainous terrain is very difficult to travel, remote and isolated. In addition, fire fighting equipment is rudimentary, water sources are scarce, and people's houses are mainly made of many flammable wooden materials. In addition, the professional Fire Prevention and Rescue Team of the police force is currently stationed in Con Cuong district, so mobilizing vehicles to fight fires in Ky Son is almost ineffective because it takes too much time to travel" - Lieutenant Colonel To Van Hau, Chief of Ky Son District Police said.

Authorities support firefighting and visit families affected by fire in Ta Ca commune. Photo: Ky Son Police provided

According to Ky Son authorities, people need to take measures to prevent fires and explosions to protect their own property, especially against fires caused by electrical short circuits. This is the main cause of fires in the district recently.

SOME NOTES WHEN INSTALLING AND USING ELECTRICITY:

- When installing electrical systems, electrical equipment must be calculated and designed according to standards and quality, and not overloaded. It is necessary to install a main circuit breaker and an automatic power cut-off device when the line is overloaded.

- Do not bend, pull the electric wire or hang heavy objects on the wire. Electric wires, fuses, and circuit breakers must not be rusted. Do not thread electric wires through thatched roofs, corrugated iron roofs, or connect electrical wires haphazardly, and do not leave exposed electrical wire joints.

- In addition, electrical equipment and household appliances that are too old need to be checked regularly to have a plan for overhaul or replacement. When there is no longer a need to use electrical devices, or in case of a power outage while in use, the electrical devices must be disconnected from the power source. Electrical equipment and appliances must be regularly maintained and cleaned.

- Install lighting bulbs on specialized hangers, do not hang directly with wires and do not use flammable materials such as paper, cloth, nylon... to cover the bulbs. Do not place flammable substances (gas, gasoline, oil, paper...) near electrical equipment and appliances such as lamps, irons, electric stoves, sockets, fluorescent lamp ballasts... Do not install electrical outlets in toilets or bathrooms.

- Before leaving the house, turn off all electrical appliances and devices. Before going to bed, check devices and appliances such as lights, fans, etc. Also, turn off the power to unnecessary electrical devices.