BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DIVISIONAL FIRE OFFICER David Stapleton has dispelled rumours of electric fans being the cause of a number of house fires in the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Following calls to SKNVibes and comments made on its website claiming that some house fires resulted from faulty electric fans, a visit to the Headquarters of the Fire and Rescue Services in Basseterre proved otherwise.
Stapleton said of the 45 house fires in the Federation from January 1 to September 30, investigations revealed that none of them was caused by electric fans. He also provided safety tips and an explanation to allay the fear of electric fans as fire hazard.
He explained that if an electric fan is turned on and the blades do not revolve, it means that the shaft (which carries the blades) may be stuck. “When this occurs,” he added, “current will continue to flow and cause overheating which could result in a fire.”
Stapleton advised that anyone who has a fan, turns it on, and finds that the blades are not revolving, that person should immediately switch it off and seek expert advice.
He also advised that “when leaving your home, the only appliance that should be on is the fridge and not fans…all other electrical appliances should be unplugged”.
The Divisional Fire Officer further advised that power strips must not be overloaded and electrical cords must not be placed under rugs, carpets, mats and behind beds and sofas.
He explained that heat is generated from the electromagnetic flow and causes the insulation of the electrical wires to soften, and should the wires be under the carpets, rugs or mats, more heat would be generated and this could result in a fire.
Meanwhile, statistics provided by the St. Kitts-Nevis Fire and Rescue Services indicates that the number of house fires recorded during the period January – August 2009 decreased from 47 during the same period in 2008 to 43. The statistics also shows that there was a reduction in the incidence of “Fire Calls Received” which sat at 421 in 2008 and 393 in 2009.
An increase was however recorded for Motor Vehicle Accidents, which in 2008 stood at six and eight in 2009.
Though infinitesimal, the total number of actual fires decreased in 2009 by 0.5 percent, from 385 in 2008 to 383 in 2009.
