The Republican campaign "Don't burn your life!" is launching in Lepel district.

“Careless handling of fire while smoking” is the wording most frequently found in the operational reports of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES). And this problem, despite the large-scale preventive work carried out by rescuers, is unfortunately still relevant.

From November 8 to 28, the republican campaign "Don't burn your life away!" will be held in the Lepel district. With the aim of reducing the number of fires and deaths from them, MES employees will cover various target audiences. Initially, from November 8 to 17, the attention of the rescue service representatives will be focused on organising information and awareness-raising events in the work collectives of organisations and enterprises in the city and district. In addition, rescuers will work along the routes of mobile shops, where interactive platforms will be set up at the stops of the travelling shops to teach rural residents basic safety rules, with an emphasis on the causes of emergencies.

The target audience for the second stage of the campaign, which will take place from November 20 to 28, will be students of the Lepel Agrarian-Technical College, as well as various categories of the population in places with mass gatherings of people.

Rescuers remind: with the onset of cold weather, the number of fires increases. This is due to several factors: increased load on electrical appliances, unsafe use of stoves, and, of course, smoking – not everyone wants to go outside for a cigarette. Nevertheless, this seemingly "harmless" habit can lead to tragedy – depriving you not only of your home but also of the most valuable thing – your life.

In the current year, in the Lepel district, a fire caused by careless handling of fire claimed the lives of 2 people.

The main conditions contributing to fires in residential buildings and deaths from them are smoking and drunkenness. According to statistics, about 70% of those who died in fires abused alcohol and often smoked in bed. A smouldering cigarette butt falling on bedding causes a fire in 15 minutes. In this case, a person receives a fatal dose of carbon monoxide within 3 minutes. Moreover, most of these fires occur at night. Neighbours discover the fire when the house is almost completely engulfed in flames. The report to the MES duty service is received very late, and the person inside the house dies. Very often, drunk people

smokers endanger not only their own lives but also the lives of others – relatives, neighbours.

Ash must be collected in ashtrays (preferably factory-made); devices made of non-combustible, poorly heat-conductive material (thick glass, ceramics, etc.) should be used as ashtrays, but under no circumstances should paper bags, plastic bins or other combustible items be used.

Never smoke in bed or in an armchair. A tired or intoxicated person cannot always control their actions.

It is advisable to smoke outdoors or in a designated area where the floors are made of non-combustible material in case a cigarette falls on the floor.

Do not smoke near flammable and combustible liquids.

After finishing smoking, the cigarette must be thoroughly extinguished.

Install a smoke detector in your home. It will alert you to a developing fire with a loud audible signal and save your life.

Do not throw unextinguished cigarettes or matches from windows or balconies. Air currents can carry them to neighbouring balconies and into open apartment windows, which can cause fires. Therefore, to prevent the source of ignition from entering the premises, windows and balcony doors must be closed when leaving the apartment.

Dear citizens! If you cannot give up this harmful habit, be responsible in choosing a place to smoke and extinguishing cigarette butts. Protect yourself and your loved ones!