March 1st is the beginning of Fire Prevention Month. -A nearby fire yesterday reminds me.

Image Source:
BFP Site

[Canon EOS 1300D, f/5, 1/4, 214mm, ISO3200]

Three hours before midnight, there's already a blaze visible from our rooftop. My mom first heard sirens typical to that from firetrucks so she insisted that I check it out. I remembered to bring my camera but I forgot the battery being charged downstairs. What else could go wrong? I remembered to remove the UV filter from the 300mm zoom lens but I didn't have time to set up the tripod because the mosquitoes were already starting to have late dinner and the fire was starting to subside. - With the continuous wail of sirens giving me an idea of how many fire trucks had arrived at the scene, I didn't have much time to take a good shot.

If I were a news correspondent, I'd go out and find a better view. Even earlier this morning, I was still thinking about visiting the site and taking pictures. I guess it's just deeply embedded in my instincts. So, that evening, with the ISO set to 3200 and the camera pressed firmly on a lamp post, I tried to get a clear shot. It's hard to reduce shake when zoomed in. The slightest motion is amplified and I couldn't use a fast shutter since the blaze wasn't that bright. More so, it's too far away. That's why I ended up with noisy and blurry images (even after editing).

The Lesson:

Don't panic and have presence of mind. With more practice under time pressure, it will be possible to instinctively get the settings right and get clear shots. Keep the tripod mount screwed on underneath the camera (unless the bettery is out). - Do anything that reduces setup time which applies to your camera model.

Nonetheless Here's another photo and a video shared by a friend through messenger.

[Video by Vince Gregorio, Navotas City, Metro manila]

The fire occured yesterday evening, just two days after another fire consumed three houses in the same city on Monday. At least 40 houses were destroyed and 80 families displaced this time. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. News Source

Since it's Fire Prevention Month, here are some additional fire safety tips.

In addition to Common Fire Prevention Tips, I would like to share with you a few of lessons I learned from experience.

Don't use Non-Automatic Water Heaters

This kind of heater is only good to use when totally submerged in liquid and never left unattended. There's no automatic shutoff and you can boil water until it dries, the heating element glows red-hot, the plastic handle melts and... I'm glad I smelled it before the next likely event happens. -The wires short and/or ignite.

Here's another model. -With a ceramic handle (which hardly melts) and a thicker cord. It's a bit more expensive but still not automatic. We hardly ever use it because of what happened to the first heater.

[Canon EOS 1300D, f/5.6, 1/200, 238mm, ISO800]

Use LPG gauges, if not automatic shut off valves.

We usually hear or read about the tip which says something like: "Make sure the LPG hose doesn't have leaks." -But how? With an auto-shutoff valve, you may not even know if there's a minor leak since those valves are designed to cut off an abnormally high-volume flow of gas. It's also not easy to smell minor leaks. This is where a gauge can be extremely helpful. I usually test for leaks this way:

After turning off the stove, turn off the valve attached to the tank. Check the gauge. If the pressure is going down, that means there's a leak somewhere. You can also check the gauge before using the stove everyday. The pressure should remain the same as the night before when you left it. Some pressure gets left in the hose even when the main valve is closed, and a very small leak may allow the needle to go down a bit after a few hours. If your system leaks at high pressure when the LPG tank is full, the leak may get even worse as the tank's pressure gets lower. It is because many gaskets are designed to seal the system under high pressure. If you suspect a leak, spray water on the hose to check for bubbles while it's pressured. Tighten the hose brackets as well. You may have to have the tank replaced if the gasket on top is damaged or missing.

Be extra careful when you're sleepy.

Here's a story that started with a fire. when the author, @celstag25 fell asleep while preparing coffee.

Report old, rotting electric power posts to the authorities.

[Canon EOS1300D, f7.1, 1/250, 70mm, ISO200]

This wooden electric post has been there since time immemorial and has been reported suffering from wood rot since 2016. After a few calls to the power company, they finally decided to replace it. A new metal post is now being erected right next to it.

Disclaimer:

I enjoy blogging and photography. I'm not being paid to advertise any business at least for now.

Thanks for reading/viewing!

[Credits to the Author of Life]

Please stay tuned for my favorite everyday photos and the lessons I learned behind the scenes.