News / Local
Teen cheats death in petrol fire
27 Nov 2015 at 05:08hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO teenager escaped death on Wednesday night after a 20-litre petrol container that he was carrying caught fire in their house in Mpopoma suburb.
Carlton Mhlanga, 16, was passing through the kitchen from a spare bedroom with a container full of petrol to refuel his father's car outside when the gas stove, which was on, caused the container to catch fire.
Joseph Mhlanga, his father, said the incident occurred at around 7PM.
"It didn't cross my mind that a gas stove was on in the kitchen when I asked Carlton to carry the fuel to the car. As he drew close to the two-plate stove which was on a table, a huge flame suddenly erupted. He was wearing a pair of stockings, which caught fire leaving him with blisters on his legs and feet," said Mahlangu.
He said he thanked God that the 20 litre container did not explode, although the fire destroyed kitchen property.
"I quickly took the fuel container outside and put out the fire using sand. My family and neighbours teamed up to fight the fire. We're thankful for the quick response by the Fire Brigade because it only took them six minutes to arrive at the scene and we had managed to block the fire from spreading through to die rest of the house," he said.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Richard Peterson said the flame from the gas stove ignited the petrol vapour from the container.
"Damage was mostly done on a kitchen unit and the kitchen door. About 10 percent damage was caused by smoke in the spare bedroom. Im more than pleased by the response of the people in the western suburbs. These people help each other to quickly put out fires unlike in the other areas," he said.
Peterson said at least 99 percent of the fires in the western suburbs are controlled in a single room.
He urged residents to exercise caution while using alternative sources of energy in the face of load shedding and to desist from keeping flammable liquids in their houses.
If a container with any of the flammable liquids explodes, no-one survives in that house."
Peterson reminded people to remember to put the 09 code before dialling the 71717-9 emergency number. He said residents could call 993 or 994 toll free from landlines.
Carlton Mhlanga, 16, was passing through the kitchen from a spare bedroom with a container full of petrol to refuel his father's car outside when the gas stove, which was on, caused the container to catch fire.
Joseph Mhlanga, his father, said the incident occurred at around 7PM.
"It didn't cross my mind that a gas stove was on in the kitchen when I asked Carlton to carry the fuel to the car. As he drew close to the two-plate stove which was on a table, a huge flame suddenly erupted. He was wearing a pair of stockings, which caught fire leaving him with blisters on his legs and feet," said Mahlangu.
He said he thanked God that the 20 litre container did not explode, although the fire destroyed kitchen property.
"I quickly took the fuel container outside and put out the fire using sand. My family and neighbours teamed up to fight the fire. We're thankful for the quick response by the Fire Brigade because it only took them six minutes to arrive at the scene and we had managed to block the fire from spreading through to die rest of the house," he said.
"Damage was mostly done on a kitchen unit and the kitchen door. About 10 percent damage was caused by smoke in the spare bedroom. Im more than pleased by the response of the people in the western suburbs. These people help each other to quickly put out fires unlike in the other areas," he said.
Peterson said at least 99 percent of the fires in the western suburbs are controlled in a single room.
He urged residents to exercise caution while using alternative sources of energy in the face of load shedding and to desist from keeping flammable liquids in their houses.
If a container with any of the flammable liquids explodes, no-one survives in that house."
Peterson reminded people to remember to put the 09 code before dialling the 71717-9 emergency number. He said residents could call 993 or 994 toll free from landlines.
Source - chronicle
