The Cha-Am and Hua Hin Municipality have given advice to local people on fire prevention during the current cold season as fires can quickly spread but are hard to extinguish, particularly if they occurs in shop-houses or wooden houses or on open grass land due to dry weather and strong winds.
To protect their house and property, authorities suggest that people should keep their house well-ordered and not put anything that block the doorway, windows and stairs. More than one fire exit has to be prepared in the house and at least one window of each room should be left unlocked so that family members can leave the house in case a fire breaks out. All keys have to be kept in a place where they are easily found in case of emergency.
Any inflammable things, such as papers, matches and wood chunks, should be gotten rid of. Chemical substances have to be kept in dry and ventilated place away from heat. Incense pots, candlesticks and ashtrays should be non-flammable.
Electrical appliances, especially those exposed to sunlight, rain and heat most of the time, should be frequently checked. Urgent repair or replacement must be done for electrical appliances that have damaged wires. More importantly, it is not recommendable to plug many electrical appliances in one socket or leave them unused for a long time as this can easily cause short circuit.
Fire extinguishers have to be placed where family members can use them quickly and conveniently. Fire alarms should be installed in rooms prone to fire, such as a kitchen or a praying room where incense and candles are usually lit.
Other than that, the Municipalities asks people to be careful if they have to do any activities with fire, such as blowing candles and incense out before leaving the house, unplugging or turning off all electrical appliances and cooking gas as well as avoiding burning garbage and pampas grass when the wind is strong because other materials can catch even small fire fragments and start to burn uncontrollably fast.
Keeping their house well-organized, getting rid of inflammable things, frequently checking electrical appliances, installing fire alarms and paying special attention to activities with fire will help minimize the risk that fire easily breaks out during this dry and cold season.
In case of emergency, please contact the Cha- Am Municipality’s Public Works and Disaster Relief at tel. 199, 032 471 001, 032 471 222 and 032 471 419.
