Fire safety

How to prevent fires?

Make your home fire safe and be careful.

negligence and construction faults that are related to fire boxes and chimneys
arson or probable arson
electricity (static electricity and lightning)
carelessness with open fire (this includes smoking)
working with fire (welding, separating water pipes, repairing roof cover materials, etc)
self-ignition
grease that has caught fire on a frying pan or stove

Keep open fire (such as candles) away from curtains and easily flammable objects as well as from upholstered furniture
Place fireproof cuffs on candles
Matches and burning candles must not be left within the reach of children.
Switch the lamps off when you leave the room. Even better if you use lights that switch off automatically
For defrosting frozen water pipes use warm water or warm vapour and not fire. Soak a cloth in warm water and wrap it around the pipe. Regularly change the cloth until the pipe has defrosted. If you are in trouble, call an expert. It is very easy to defrost pipes with professional equipment
Do not leave the stove unattended if you have hot grease on a pan or in a pot. Grease and oil catch fire at high temperatures. Never try to put out such a fire with water because this will only intensify the flames. Instead cover the flames with a cloth
Electrical candles that are meant for indoor use must not be used outdoors (in the garden, on a balcony, outside the window). In addition to providing a fire hazard, they may generate a life-threatening situation
Furthermore, sparkler candles are not safe. Therefore children should use them only in the presence of responsible adults. Even the smallest of sparks may set fire to flammable materials
Clean out a fire box which is used all year round at least twice a year. The insufficient cleaning of fire boxes may cause the ignition of soot and hot combustion gases may leak through the cracks in the smoke flue

Check yourself and have experts check the electrical installations in the house. If necessary, have them repaired
Do not use self-made fuses or electrical heating installations
Check stoves, ovens, flues and chimneys: their joints must be intact and without any cracks. If necessary, have the experts repair them
Have the chimneys, flues and pipes cleaned regularly, at least once a year
Do not burn film, plastic bottles, nappies, tins which have kept preserves in them, glass, or potato peel in heating elements because their burning damages the heating system
Do not keep firewood, kindling and other flammable objects near the heaters
A metal sheet or fireproof floor covering must be placed on the floor in front of a fireplace. During heating, do not keep firewood in front of the mouth of the stove
Clear the emergency exits of the house of any objects
Keep documents and valuables in a safe place so you can take them with you in case of emergency

Do not leave children alone with an open fire (such as candles), not even for a short while
While candles are burning in the room, do not switch the electrical lighting completely off
Walls and ceiling that are made of wood should be at least one metre from any tree branches which are holding candles