On February 4, around 10 PM, a report was received about a house fire in the village of Zagortsy, Bobrovsky Selsoviet, Lepel District.
When rescuers arrived at the scene, the house was observed to be engulfed in open flames, with the roof and ceiling collapsing.
After taking all necessary firefighting measures, a male body, born in 1963, was discovered in a room under the debris of the collapsed building structures of the roof and ceiling.
It was later established that the deceased was unemployed and registered with the Bobrovsky Selsoviet as prone to alcohol abuse. He was not registered at the fire location. According to neighbours, the deceased was seen in an intoxicated state the day before the fire.
Currently, the circumstances of the incident are being established, and possible causes of the fire are being investigated. The primary suspected cause is careless handling of fire while smoking by the deceased.
Violation of fire safety rules due to careless handling of fire while smoking heads the list of causes of fires that resulted in fatalities. In 2019 alone, this cause led to 8 fires in the Lepel District, claiming 6 lives. Behind each number lies not only a life cut short but also broken family destinies: someone lost a son, someone lost a father... For some, it's just a statistic, as most are convinced it won't happen to them, that it occurred somewhere far away in another city, on another street... Only when disaster strikes their own home do people begin to consider that it might have been avoided if...
Rescuers believe that fires caused by smoking can be prevented without any significant cost. If you or your relatives cannot completely quit this harmful habit, eliminate smoking indoors. If your neighbour is fond of not only smoking but also excessive alcohol consumption, raise the alarm. You have a "time bomb" next to you. Typically, the scenario of "Drank. Smoked. Fell asleep." plays out, and statistics confirm this.
Dear citizens! Observe fire safety rules in your homes, do not smoke in residential areas, and ensure that matches and cigarettes are extinguished after use. Install autonomous smoke detectors in your living rooms, which will promptly alert you to danger in case of a fire. And remember: one unextinguished cigarette can ruin a life, and not just one!
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones!