Seasonal Community Safety Advice
Diwali
Diwali known as the ‘festival of lights’ will be celebrated this year on 21 October 2006. Fire statistics show that there is an increased fire risk at this time, because a major feature of the festival is the use of candles, tea lights and fireworks.
On average, at least one person dies every year during the celebrations in a house fire caused by a candle. Often the cause is due to a religious candle left unattended overnight.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are therefore offering fire safety advice that will help families celebrate the Festival of Diwali safely:
- Treat the Diya as you would any other flame. Use only enough ghee to last your Puja. If you do need to leave the Diya or candle unattended, make sure that it rests securely on a surface which will not melt or burn.
- At all times, keep the flame at a safe distance from curtains, furniture and decorations. Long hair and clothing (especially saris, chunris/chunis and dupattas) are also very flammable.
- Keep the flame out of reach of children and animals. Children should be supervised at all times near flames.
- Treat fireworks with great caution. Only buy fireworks marked with British Safety Standard 7114 and always read the instructions.
- Fit working smoke alarms on each floor level in your home. Consider buying a ten year alarm – otherwise test the alarm once a week, and change the batteries every year.
- When cooking deep-fry food, dry it before you put it in the hot oil. If the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat and leave the pan to cool. Never fill the pan more than one-third full of oil. Never throw water over the pan.
Watch Manager Paul Christopher of the Community Fire Safety Department at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service says "This time of year is a very special occasion for the Hindu, Sikh and Jain community, and we don't want to dampen spirits, but over my time in the Service I have seen the devastation an unattended Diya or candle can cause. Fireworks too should be treated with great caution as they can cause terrible injuries to people and damage to property.
"By taking just a few simple precautions you can greatly reduce the risks for yourself and your family. I would especially urge the celebrating community to ensure they have a working smoke alarm installed on every floor of their home".
For further information about celebrating safely or to arrange a Home Fire Safety Check simply visit our website at www.hantsfire.gov.uk or contact the Community Fire Safety team on 023 8062 6809 .
Information from www.hantsfire.gov.uk
