The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on the most common causes of fires.

October 2, MINSK . Dmitry Turchin, HEAD of the Main Directorate for Supervision and Prevention of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, spoke about the most common causes of fires at the conference "Prevention of Emergencies in the Autumn-Winter Period. Prevention of Fires and Fatalities from Them," which was held at BELTA. "The number of fires in the republic has increased by 7.7%, and the number of people killed in them has increased by 10.6%. The main causes are careless handling of fire, violation of the rules for the operation of furnaces, heat-generating equipment, and violation of the requirements for the operation of power generating equipment, power grids, and electrical equipment," Dmitry Turchin said. Moreover, careless handling of fire while smoking has remained the leading cause of fire for several years. This year, almost 50% of citizens who died from fire were people who were in a state ofALCOHOL intoxication . Often, in such cases, not only the individual loses their life, but also those around them. The number of fires and fatalities traditionally increases in the fall and winter, especially in December and January. Extensive preventative work is being carried out in Belarus . Thus, on September 30, a special preventative event, "A Home Without Fire," concluded. it was organized in the regions facing the most challenging operational situations. A similar campaign was held in March of this year. The campaign prioritizes large families, single individuals, those living alone, and individuals with disabilities. 
The "Together for Safety" campaign, which will last for two weeks, begins on October 20. During this campaign, citizens will once again be educated on the requirements of technical regulations and rules of conduct at home. Anyone can contact their local branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations with a request for assistance in assessing the fire safety status of their home. The Ministry of Emergency Situations will issue recommendations on what needs to be done to rectify the situation. Such requests currently number in the thousands.
Dmitry Turchin emphasized that, by law, the owner of the premises is responsible for the fire . Moreover, the country has two demographic programs that require an emergency response if any violations are detected. The Ministry of Emergency Situations, through government agencies and on a first-come, first-served basis, notifies people of the need to install independent fire alarms, replace batteries, and repair heating stoves.
"During the fall-winter and winter-spring periods, we conduct field training sessions with cadets. We introduce them to practical aspects. We are currently planning two major field trips to the Vitebsk and Gomel regions in October to address communities with the most challenging operational situations," noted the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations' Main Directorate for Supervision and Prevention. "This work is ongoing. We have visited approximately 580,000 households since the beginning of the year, and more than 850,000 people have received training." If signs of unsafe housing are detected, the Ministry of Emergency Situations takes appropriate measures, including, if necessary, relocating elderly and senior citizens. For matters outside the Ministry's purview—electrical safety, the condition of buildings and structures not related to fire safety—they must notify the affected parties so that appropriate action can be taken. 
"This year, approximately 48,000 autonomous fire alarms have already been installed. Based on statistics from the introduction of these devices, approximately 2,800 people have been saved thanks to the autonomous fire alarms. For example, on September 30th, a homeowner in Yelsk was awakened by a triggered fire alarm. Four adults and a young child survived," concluded Dmitry Turchin.
Photo by Kristina Aksenova