The importance of raising awareness about electrical safety

In recent weeks, in line with the infernal heat wave that is punishing a large part of the country, the city of Córdoba has been the scene of multiple house fires that highlight the urgent need to reinforce electrical safety measures, as well as to intensify controls by the authorities in commercial and residential spaces.

There are several incidents to highlight and take into account when designing strategies.

The fire at the Ángela Tower, in the heart of the city centre, left one person seriously injured and mobilised emergency teams to control the flames in one of the most emblematic buildings in the city. Apparently, it started in an armchair and was the result of “incomplete combustion”.

In a house in the Alto Alberdi neighborhood, two men were injured and were transferred to the Burn Institute after a fire that consumed a large part of their home.

A housing complex in the Talleres Oeste neighbourhood was affected by a large fire, which left several families homeless. There is talk of possible failures in the electrical installations. Fortunately, no one was injured.

A fire in a boarding house in the San Martín neighbourhood left two people dead and five injured, when two workers were carrying out welding tasks at the site. The boarding house housed more than 25 people and lacked municipal authorisation and Firefighter certification.

These events reflect a worrying upward trend in electrical fires. According to the Relevando Peligros foundation, incidents of this type increased alarmingly during 2024 in Córdoba: there were 51% more than in 2023. In total there were 67, with 19 fatalities.

To prevent these incidents, it is essential that citizens take safety measures in their homes, such as periodically checking electrical installations, avoiding excessive use of so-called “extension cords” and adapters (overloading sockets can cause overheating and, eventually, fires); not placing sockets near flammable materials, and hiring certified professionals for installations and repairs.

But, in addition to individual precautions, it is imperative that local authorities step up controls in commercial and residential spaces. Rigorous implementation of the Provincial Electrical Safety Law (10,281) is essential to ensure that all buildings meet the necessary safety standards.

The approval of this regulation was possible in 2017 thanks to the work of Relevando Peligros, which strives to make public roads a safer place by detecting risks and then notifying them to the entities responsible for solving the problems. It has been doing so for almost 15 years, which shows that this is an awareness-raising task that should never stop.

Fire prevention is a shared responsibility between citizens and authorities. Only through awareness, education and strict compliance with regulations can we reduce the incidence of these tragic events in our community.