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Turn off home appliances to prevent fire in summer

DUBAI — With the summer holiday season currently on, a local fire expert has warned residents to switch off and unplug household appliances before leaving their home for extended periods of time.

In the past, several fires have been reported in houses due to short circuits caused by home appliances not being turned off. However, so far this year, no cases of such fires have been reported, confirmed a Civil Defence official.

The expert said, "Overheating is one of the main causes of fires involving electrical goods, and can be avoided by simply switching off the power at the wall socket and unplugging the appliance.

Heat-emitting appliances such as heaters, transformers and cloth dryers could lead to fires caused by ignition of any combustible material lying nearby.

"Another major cause of fires involving home appliances is when moisture seeps into the motor or electrical parts of the appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters and outdoor appliances. Suc appliances must be cleaned dry and switched off," the expert said.

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