Handbooks and Publications - Fire Prevention | Page 34

Fire Prevention Tips
Section 160 of the CC Cap. Page 81 makes false alarms a punishable offence.

MOTOR VEHICLE FIRES
Prevention and Response
When people think about fire safety, foremost on their minds are their homes, office
buildings, factories and so on. Vehicles rarely enter the picture although they
should.
Vehicle fires are real and they can be devasting, as a consequence, they should
engage our attention. In this article we would look at some ways to prevent vehicle
fires and how to respond to them.
If we are to prevent fires we should know what causes them. Fires are caused when
heat of sufficient temperature (ignition) combines with oxy- gen and a fuel (that is
anything that can bum) refered to as a source of combustion.
The electrical system of a vehicle is a potential source of uncontrolled ignition. The
integrity of the system is largely a matter of proper installation, fusing and
maintenance.
The fuse is in an area where drivers and owners freely tamper. They routinely wrap
wire or foil around blown fuses and foolishly think everything is okay. Nothing can
be further from the truth. When a fuse goes, some- thing is wrong, there is a
potential for a fire. The only way to solve the problem is to have a qualified
electrician determine the cause and correct the problem.
Fires of electrical origin are usually fed by oily deposits in and around the engine (a
clean engine is a preventive), or when combustible materials such as interior fabric
linings and upholstery are ignited.
Cigarette butts and spent matches should be disposed of carefully. Care is the
operative word here. So tossing them outside of the vehicle, while pre- venting a fire
in your vehicle, can start a major fire where lives can be lost.
The exhaust system is usually taken for granted. We regard a little blowing of our
'muffler' as no big thing. A blowing exhaust is a fire threat. Hot carbon particles
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