To prevent fires in residential areas, employees of the Lepel District Department for Emergency Situations, as part of inspection commissions, are constantly carrying out fire prevention work in the district.
One of the key issues that rescuers pay attention to when visiting households is safety when lighting bonfires in yard areas.
– Lighting bonfires near residential buildings and in areas with dry vegetation poses a serious threat, – emphasize the rescuers. – Dry grass and branches can easily ignite, and the fire can quickly spread to neighbouring plots. We urge everyone to be extremely cautious and not to leave bonfires unattended. It is important to assess the situation; for example, one should refrain from lighting bonfires if the weather is windy.
No less important for rescuers is the condition of heating stoves. Nighttime cold continues to trouble the residents of the Lepel region, and many are still forced to heat their homes.
– Stoves must be in good working order and safe for operation. Improper use or lack of regular maintenance can lead to a fire, – explain the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. – We strongly recommend checking chimneys and monitoring the condition of stoves to avoid unpleasant situations.
Rescuers also pay attention to the presence and operability of fire alarms in citizens' homes. The territorial centre for social services for the population actively participates in this matter. By contacting the centre with an application and a receipt for the purchase of a smoke detector, the most vulnerable categories of citizens (lonely and single-person households) can get reimbursed for the funds spent on purchasing this device.
In addition to checking the fire safety condition of households, rescuers hold discussions with residents aimed at preventing fires caused by smoking.
– Smoking indoors is one of the main causes of fires. We urge all smokers to be careful and not to leave burning cigarettes unattended, – say the rescuers. – A single spark can lead to tragedy.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations employees hand out preventive leaflets and recommendations for eliminating identified violations to each homeowner.
It remains to be hoped that the comprehensive preventive work will minimise the number of fires in the Lepel district.