A FIRE officer has warned Islanders about the dangers of storing gas canisters after the second garden blaze in just two weeks.
Community safety manager Marc Le Cornu (pictured) said that the cylinders – used for patio heaters and barbecues – could ‘explode like a bomb’ if they caught fire.
He urged Islanders not to tackle the fires and to evacuate the area as soon as possible. Mr Le Cornu spoke out after two fire crews from the St Helier station and another from the Western Station were called to a patio heater blaze in St Brelade last week.
Two part-time firefighters quickly extinguished the metre-high flames and cooled down the LPG cylinder. They then checked the cylinder’s temperature using a thermal imaging camera.
Firefighters found that the blaze had been caused by gas leaking from a seven-year-old hose which connected the cylinder to the heater.
Earlier this month a family from St Clement escaped unharmed after a gas canister being used for a barbecue caught fire.
Mr Le Cornu said: ‘Now that the summer is finally beginning and people are starting to use their barbecues, it is essential that they are checked before use.
‘Gas barbecues are generally stored outside and are therefore subject to deterioration. It is very common for the rubber hoses to perish or the connections to loosen owing to moving the barbecue around. No one should ever try to tackle a cylinder fire as the cylinders can explode like a bomb. Instead, you should immediately evacuate the area and call the emergency services.’
Mr Le Cornu said that Islanders could check their canister’s hose by brushing soapy water over it and looking for bubbles.
He added that Jersey Gas supplied a leak detection kit which included leak detection fluid, the correct spanner to ensure that the connections were tight and instructions on changing cylinders safely.
Last month the JEP joined forces with the Fire and Rescue Service to launch the Make a Plan campaign – a drive to encourage Islanders to fit smoke alarms and make a fire escape plan.
We want as many Islanders as possible to request a free home fire safety visit, in which firefighters visit homes to offer safety advice and, if needed, fit free smoke alarms.
• Phone the Jersey Fire and Rescue Service on 445967 to request a free home fire safety visit.
Picture: A gas canister of the type used to fuel patio heaters
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