Makana Fire Station’s Commander Vuyokazi Sam says residents and businesses should be extra careful with electrical appliances before and after loadshedding. She was speaking to Grocott’s Mail after a fire caused by an overheated fan at a Somerset Heights home was spotted and extinguished before it could cause serious damage.
Sam said on Wednesday 5 February, around 1pm, a resident called to report smoke coming from the garage of a Glastonbury Road home.
“A crew responded immediately with a vehicle and a water tanker,” Sam said. “It turned out that the resident had left a fan running in the garage.
“When the power went out at the start of loadshedding, they didn’t think to unplug it or switch it off. When the power came back, it started running again. It overheated and caught fire.
“Luckily someone spotted the smoke coming from the garage and called the Fire Department.”
Sam urges residents and businesses to take extra care to switch off and unplug appliances before they leave a room, or go to sleep, or lock up offices and other work areas, particularly given that there will be ongoing loadshedding.
“At home, at night, before you go to sleep, make sure you’ve switched off all your appliances. And if the power is out and you’re not sure if the appliance is on or off, please unplug it,” Sam says.
