The stove caused nearly half of the house fires last year
Nearly half of all house fires in 2017 were due to fires that started on the stove. Now DSB is asking several Norwegians to install a stove guard.
– The stove is by far the home’s foremost source of fire. Half of all emergency responses to house fires are due to a kettle or pan that is forgotten on the stove, says Director in the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB), Cecilie Daae.
A recent DSB survey shows that 1,516 of 3,344 residential fires responded to in 2017, starting on stoves. Oslo alone accounted for 400 of the emergency responses to fires originating from stoves, while Finnmark and Aust-Agder only experienced 16 stove related fires each.
– Most people probably have a tale about when it almost went very wrong in the kitchen. A little bit of inattention is all that is needed for a fire to flare up and get out of control, Daae says, and encourage Norwegians to purchase a stove guard.
Required in newer homes only
There is a requirement for stove guards in all new homes. The guard consists of a sensor and an automatic power off switch. If the sensor, which monitors the appliance, detects a fire hazard, it triggers an alarm. If nobody responds to the alarm, the power is cut.
Serial-connected smoke detectors and other safety devices is probably contributing factors to that 2017 was the year with the lowest number of deaths related to fires since 1979.
Just 15 per cent possess a stove guard
In a survey conducted by DSB in 2017, only 15 per cent of the respondents answered that they possess a stove guard. The number has remained stable since 2015.
On Thursday 15th of February, DSB organizes a national campaign to raise awareness regarding the amount of stove related fires. As part of the campaign, a guard will be installed for some of the people who need it in the municipalities that are partaking. Despite the stove guard technology, Daae thinks it is equally important to remain alert when cooking.
Be alert
– Take care during cooking, turn off or down the heat if you are interrupted during cooking, clean the ventilator fan regularly and make sure there are no flammable items placed near the cooktop, she says.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
