Yesterday the Things by November store at Tilal Complex caught fire due to an electrical fault. The owners had this message they wanted me to pass on:
Hello everyone 🙂
Things by November in Tilal will be closed for one month due to a fire.. But kitchen is running perfectly as it is in another location, so flowers and bakery will be by order only. Sorry for the inconvenience, but all things happen for a reason and we will be back better than ever soon 🙂Please call 97313310 or [email protected] for delivery.
How do electrical fires start and how can I make sure I don’t get an electrical fire at home?
18 replies on “Fire at Things by November”
that is not good. i was just there recently and got the best cake i’ve had in kuwait. by far!
hope they are up and running asap
all the best!
to prevent it buy quality appliances and check the ones you have for wire wear, loose wires and torn rubber casing. the home electrical wiring is you biggest concern faulty electrical outlets and old wiring. problems with cords and plugs, don’t overload extension cords or wall sockets.
sad to hear that!! perfect time to start diet this month while the store is closed (joking)
Im sure it will re-open to be better than ever, Good luck..
ps. Kitchen will be running so lets order to support a lovely business.
A fire needs fuel, heat and air.
Electrical fires are normally caused by overloads (meltting),overheating or sparks/short circuits.
Use extention cords with care, and never cover cords (heat can build up). Watch for worn (old or damaged) equipment (including exhaust bathroom fans).
Switch things off (at wall) when you leave the house or when they are not in use and get a good smoke detector.
For you personal safety make a fire plan and practise it.
Bad wiring/installation
Poor quality wires/not ISO approved
Poor insulation resulting in overheating
The fuse installed is non compatible with the load passing through, thus allowing for excess load to be supplied.
A safety device like a surge /auto trip switch is one way to avoid it.
Fuses should be proper
Smoke detectors
Fire insurance (;P)
Rats or mice or some creepy crawlers that chew or even climb on wires cause electrical fires
The best way to avoid having an electrical fire is not to have insurance 😉
I’m not a fire expert or anything, but as somebody who has previously closely witnessed a similar incident and started having precautions against it let me tell you that your primary defense line is an appropriate Home Fuse box (not sure if that’s the correct name for it in English or even in Arabic) but it’s this box of electrical switches that’s responsible for securing the whole Electrical supply to your flat an advanced one of those will turn off automatically when there’s abnormal drainage of power such as in case of electrical fault or possible fire.
Even for more protection we’ve got one of those for the whole building, it’s a huge switch which would automatically disconnect the power of the whole building if it went out of control of the local one inside each flat.
I sorry to hear about the news, but am sure glad the kitchen is still open, their cakes are out of this world. Beside I just suggest then to some friends yesterday. Do hope they recover soon, all the best TbN.
In addition to the above, make sure the fuse box in your place has a circuit breaker. It will shut down all electricity if there is a short circuit of any kind. Install a fire alarm (from Ace) in all your rooms, especially the kitchen.
kha6ahum el sow..
electricity causes electrical fires
Main culprit is electrical wiring and the trip systems. Also, unsafe usage of extension chords.
Electrical Wiring
Most electrical fires result from problems with “fixed wiring” such as faulty electrical outlets and old wiring. Problems with cords and plugs, such as extension and appliance cords, also cause many home electrical fires.
In urban areas, faulty wiring accounts for 33% of residential electrical fires.
Many avoidable electrical fires can be traced to misuse of electric cords, such as overloading circuits, poor maintenance and running the cords under rugs or in high traffic areas.
Safety Precautions
Routinely check your electrical appliances and wiring.
Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately.
Use electrical extension cords wisely and don’t overload them.
Keep electrical appliances away from wet floors and counters; pay special care to electrical appliances in the bathroom and kitchen.
Whey buying electrical appliances look for products evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Don’t allow children to play with or around electrical appliances like space heaters, irons and hair dryers.
Keep clothes, curtains and other potentially combustible items at least three feet from all heaters.
If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
Never overload extension cords or wall sockets. Immediately shut off, then professionally replace, light switches that are hot to the touch and lights that flicker. Use safety closures to “child-proof” electrical outlets.
Check your electrical tools regularly for signs of wear. If the cords are frayed or cracked, replace them. Replace any tool if it causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out or gives off smoke or sparks.
Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. And remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.
Most electrical installations is Kuwait are of poor quality.I need to change the 3-plug extension at least twice a month because of either a power surge or drop in voltage.Are new buildings and shops safety passed by an electrical inspector to check if the electrical installation were done according to the required safety standards ???
The crazy thing is that there are no smoke detectors in any of the flats here in Kuwait! That’s standard in the US and so much more safe
I have a smoke detector in my flat
Don’t buy cheap plugs and adapters , if you use extension cords make sure they are the right one, thin can heat up . AC wiring should be done correctly . In the winter oil heater cords are short if you want to lengthen them you have to change the the whole wire , don’t use tape to join the wires , that junction is a heat generator (fire) .
think high performance , you can’t use a garden hose in a car engine .
Salamaat!!
Hope they get over this in no time! As for whatever was lost – as we say in Kuwait “fidwa”!
Come on guys lets support them and keep the orders coming – Im sure they lost quite a lot – a bit of support wont hurt..