Rural lighting electrical ready board fire warning: tragedy caused by a cigarette butt

In a rural lighting electrical ready board fire, a cigarette butt may cause a serious tragedy, and there are multiple risk factors and warning significance behind it. The following is a specific analysis:

The principle of cigarette butts causing fires

Although cigarette butts may be small, they pose great potential danger. When a cigarette burns, the temperature at the center can reach 700-800 ℃, and the temperature at the edges can reach 200-300 ℃, exceeding the ignition point of combustible materials such as cotton, linen, woolen fabrics, paper, and furniture. If the cigarette butts dropped casually come into contact with these combustibles, it is highly likely to cause a fire. Moreover, the smoldering process of cigarette butts from ignition to open flame can last for tens of minutes, which is concealed and difficult to detect, increasing the risk of fire.

Scene of cigarette butts causing a fire in a electrical ready board

In rural environments, there may be situations where unextinguished cigarette butts are casually discarded near electrical ready boards. For example, someone may smoke near a electrical ready board and discard the cigarette butt without completely extinguishing it. The cigarette butt may come into contact with flammable materials around the electrical ready board, such as hay, paper, etc., and ignite these flammable materials, spreading the fire to the electrical ready board and causing a fire.

The serious consequences of a fire in a electrical ready board

A fire in the electrical ready board may cause serious loss of life and property. On the one hand, fires may burn out electrical ready boards and their internal electrical equipment, causing power supply interruptions and affecting normal production and life in rural areas. On the other hand, the fire may also spread to surrounding buildings, causing larger fire accidents and threatening the safety of residents' lives. For example, in 2023, in the inn operated by the defendant Lu, the electrical ready board located directly above the 9th to 10th steps of the staircase on the first floor, due to long-term current imbalance, caused a fault in the residual current circuit breaker and generated high temperatures, ultimately igniting surrounding combustibles. The fire quickly spread, resulting in 9 deaths, 1 serious injury, 1 minor injury, and multiple rescued personnel suffering from varying degrees of smoke inhalation and minor abrasions, causing direct economic losses of up to 12684959.3 yuan.

preventive measure

Strengthen publicity and education: Improve the fire safety awareness of rural residents, let them understand the hazards of cigarette butts causing fires, and the correct methods for handling cigarette butts. Promotion can be carried out through forms such as posters, broadcasts, lectures, etc.

Standardize smoking behavior: Set up dedicated smoking areas in rural public places, equipped with ashtrays and other facilities, guide residents to smoke in designated areas, and avoid smoking near dangerous areas such as electrical ready boards.

Regular inspection and maintenance: Conduct regular inspections and maintenance on rural electrical ready boards to ensure their normal operation. The inspection includes checking whether the wiring of the electrical ready board is aging or damaged, whether the electrical equipment is working properly, and whether there are flammable materials around it.

Equipping with fire-fighting facilities: Necessary fire-fighting facilities such as fire extinguishers, fire sand, etc. should be equipped near the electrical ready board to enable timely firefighting in case of a fire.