Illegal dumping sparks fire fears

Illegal dumping has evoked fears of fires in Weltevreden Park.

Ward 126 councillor Mike Tonkin spoke of the dangers of illegal dumping in suburban areas after he went on a tour around his ward.

“The problem is people are dumping their rubbish outside of their homes on their pavements, and they leave the bags and vegetation lying around for weeks. This could cause fires in a heavy populated area such as Weltevreden Park.”

ADT Central Region Managing Director Clive Humprey mentioned that every year numerous businesses and houses are lost to fires around the country.

He said, “Fire moves and spreads quickly, in fact, it generally takes less than 30 seconds for a small flame to escalate into a major fire.

“Business and homeowners need to be aware of the potential dangers of fire and ensure that their homes and businesses are equipped to detect a fire, and also to ensure that everyone on the premises knows how to deal with a fire if one should break out.”

He shared the following important tips on fire safety:

•  Develop and practise an escape plan – plan two ways out of every room.
•  Display your local fire department’s telephone number near the phone and memorise it.
•  If you smell or see smoke, crawl on the floor to the nearest exit.
•  Never open a door that is hot to the touch.
• Alert or wake everybody in the building as quickly as possible.
•  If your clothing catches fire – stop, drop and roll.
• Never re-enter the premises for personal belongings.
•  Only tackle the fire if it is safe to do so.

“It is important to realise that it is not only the flames that present a danger when a fire breaks out. The heat and harmful gas emitted can often be even more life threatening.”