FIRE SERVICE RELATED
Circuit breakers
a must for everymodern-day home
Firefighters are urging all residents to check their
properties have fuseboxes that include modern
circuit breakers following a fire caused by an
electrical fault.
Crews from Crawley and Horsham dealt with the
fire at a property in Gossops Green which started
in an extension lead behind the microwave and
toaster in the kitchen.
The advent of new technology means we are
using more and more electrical appliances in the
home so the risk of electrical accidents is higher
than ever before. Circuit breakers are automatic
protection devices in the fusebox that
switch off a circuit if they detect a
fault.
Mark Hayter, WSFRS Fire
Investigation Officer,
comments; “Unfortunately the
old wire fuses in this property
did not trip the electrics early
enough to stop a fire from
igniting. It’s very important
that residents and home-
owners check their fuseboxes
to ensure they are in line with
08
current standards. Any electrical work, including the
installation of circuit breakers, should be carried out
by a qualified electrician.
“No matter how careful you are accidents can
happen so make sure you have a smoke alarm on
every level of your home and ensure they are tested
regularly.”
For more information on electrical safety in the home,
including fuseboxes and circuit breakers, please
visit Electrical Safety First’s website.