The house fire in Trinca village of Edinet district that led to the death of six persons, four of whom children, started from the candles or an icon lamp that were left burning. On the day of the tragedy, the women owner of the house held a commemoration meal to remember her dead husband and a source of open fire was left to burn at night, representatives of the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service said in a news conference, quoted by IPN.
Ghenadie Daniliuc, head of Service’s antifire lab, said the fire started inside the house. The stove didn’t have fissures and wasn’t overheated. The fire extended quickly because the ceiling was covered with polystyrene, which is highly flammable. When this type of material burns, the temperature rises to 1,000 degrees Celsius, while the melting causes a fire rain that generates new fires. A dense smoke is produced, which leads to loss of consciousness.
The fire also extended quickly because one of the women opened the entrance door to seek help and allowed air to enter. “We established that when the woman opened the door, the fire was at the incipient stage. She didn’t manage to do something as the flow of air swiftly spread the fire. The general cause of fire is the leaving of burning candles or an icon lamp without supervision. We found a mug and a support for candles with traces of burning inside them,” said Ghenadie Daniliuc.
SMURD coordinator Arcadie Popa said the natural gas and carbon monoxide poisonings pose the biggest threats to people. When there is a natural gas leakage, there is a pungent smell. The persons must first of all go out and then open the window and close the central tap and then seek help. The carbon monoxide poisonings happen usually at night and include such symptoms as vomiting, headaches and dizziness. If such a case is detected by a neighbor and nobody from inside the house answers, this person should call the emergency service and should not endanger his life.
According to Civil Protection and Emergencies Service, the 165 fires that happened in January alone resulted in 35 deaths. Carless smoking was the cause of 45% of these fires. The incorrect use of stoves and vents is the second leading cause of fire, while the negligent use of open fire is the third cause.
