Carelessness as Cause of Fire:

One of the causes of fire outbreaks/disasters is carelessness. This happens when fire is not taken seriously by the person handling it. Some careless behaviors that can cause fire outbreaks include:

• Faulty electrical wiring: This is one of the main causes of fire disasters, and is very common in domestic households. Most house holders, to save on costs; will opt to use thin cables in places where thicker cables ought to be used. This will cause overheating, which can ignite the insulation and spark off a fire disaster.  Some signs of bad wiring are:
  • Lights dim if you use another appliance;
  • For an appliance to work, you must disconnect another;
  • Fuses blow or trip the circuit frequently.

To deal with this cause of fire, ensure that certified electrical engineers are employed to supervise the wiring and inspection to ensure that it is in good condition carried out regularly.

• Electrical Equipment: An electrical appliance, such as a toaster can start a fire if it is faulty or has a frayed cord. A power point that is overloaded with double adapter plugs can cause a fire from an overuse of electricity. A power point extension cord can also be a fire hazard if not used appropriately.
  
• Cooking Equipment: Pots and pans can overheat and cause a fire very easily if the person cooking gets distracted and leaves cooking unattended. Always stay in the room, or ask someone to watch your food, when cooking on hotplates.

Falling asleep while you are cooking can also cause a fire outbreak, as much as is possible avoid cooking when you are tired.

•  Leaving rubbish and trees near your house: This may attract bush fire especially during the dry seasons of the year.
• Careless use of candles and other naked flames:  Candles look and smell nice, but if left unattended can cause domestic fires. Avoid the use of candles for lighting as much as possible; and if you must use them, then keep them away from any obviously flammable items such as books and tissue boxes. Always blow a candle out before leaving a room.
• Fire Works: Irresponsible use of fireworks can cause fire outbreaks. Fireworks should be aimed only at the skies, as aiming them in any other direction can cause a fire disaster. The fireworks may hit an inflammable substance and cause an explosion that will start a fire disaster.
• Flammable Liquids:  Domestic house holders bring into their houses and garages for use flammable liquids such as kerosene, methylated liquids and petrol.

Storing these flammable substances around the house is extremely dangerous. They must be kept away from heat sources and it is important to check the label and storage requirements before storing.

The best way is to avoid keeping kerosene or petrol in the house, but if you must, then store them in a sealed metal container, made for the purpose not in plastic jerrycan!

During use, the user should be careful when pouring the liquids. Pouring kerosene into the kerosene tank of the kerosene lamp while the kerosene lamp is lit may cause an explosion that can ignite a fire.