Three-year-old boy dies in shack fire in Gqeberha

A three-year-old boy was killed when a fire ravaged their shack in the early hours of Tuesday in Gqeberha. 

WHAT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY MORNING? 

According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said, it is suspected that the cause of the fire may have been a burning candle. 

“A three-year-old boy died in a shack fire during the early hours of Tuesday morning in Barcelona in the Gelvandale policing precinct.

“It is alleged that at about 01:10, police responded to a complaint of fire in Virgo Street in Barcelona,” Naidu said. 

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THE LITTLE BODY OF A THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS FOUND 

She said after the fire brigade extinguished the fire, the little body of Elton Saterdag (3) was found. 

“The child’s mother (34) and two other siblings aged ten years and five months old escaped. The mother sustained burns to her arms and back, while the ten-year-old girl sustained burns to her arm and leg. The infant sustained minor scratches.”

POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CIRCUMSTANCES 

The injured mother and two children were taken to the hospital for treatment. 

An inquest docket is opened for further investigation.

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KEEP THESE SAFETY TIPS IN MIND:  

How can you practice candle safety? Whether you burn every day or just occasionally, here’s how to “candle” with care:

• Trim the wick. Before lighting a candle, trim the wick to be approximately ¼ inch. This will keep the flame from becoming too large, which can ultimately help prevent a home fire.
• To light, it, use a long match or long lighter. Those who play with fire often get burned. Literally, to keep your hand from getting too close to the flame, always use a long match or long lighter.
• Then, dispose of the match properly. Even if there’s no flame, there’s still heat. So, believe it or not, you can actually start a fire just by throwing a match in the trash, especially if flammable materials like tissues and paper surround it. That’s why we recommend running used matches underwater (to cool them down) before tossing them out. However, you can also let them come to room temperature on a flame-resistant dish.
• Keep the candle in your sight. When there’s a lit candle in the room, you should be there, too. After all, keeping it close by is just one of the ways to keep damage from happening. For example, let’s say you lit a candle in the kitchen and then wandered away. If your candle accidentally caught something on fire, you might not know until it’s too late. Staying within the line of sight will help you see if it needs immediate attention.
• Pick the perfect spot for the candle. The best place to burn a candle is on a stable, heat-resistant surface. So, in addition to keeping your candle in sight, you should find an area away from children, pets, windows or drafts, and flammable materials (like furniture, curtains, carpeting, paper, etc.). This will help reduce the risk of candle catastrophes. (Wondering why you should be worried about windows? Here are the facts: A draft from a window or thinly insulated area can actually carry a flame, causing surrounding items to catch fire.)
• Don’t burn for more than four hours. When your candle is burning, carbon collects on the wick. Letting it go for too long can cause the wick to become unstable and the flame to get too large.
• Extinguish appropriately. Suffocate the flame, and prevent hot wax splatters in the process.