South Africans are urged to prioritise safety while using heating appliances during the winter months to prevent fire hazards and carbon monoxide poisoning.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) has issued a strong appeal to residents to prioritise safety when using heating appliances during the ongoing cold weather conditions, warning that unsafe practices continue to result in fatalities and widespread property damage.
As part of its winter awareness campaign, in collaboration with the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), officials conducted community engagements in Kwa-Thema, Springs, where residents were educated on the dangers associated with common household heat energy sources such as braziers, coal stoves, paraffin heaters and portable electric heaters.
The city cautioned that winter fires remain a recurring threat.
“Annually, members of the public lose their properties due to fire-related incidents and in the worst case scenario, lives are lost,” DEMS spokesperson William Ntladi said.
