These Devices Provide Early Fire Warning in Slums in South Afrcia

By: Parul Rohatgi - Mar 12, 2015
References: lumkani &
Lumkani fire detectors are designed specifically to address the issues of fires in slums or shacks in South Africa, and any other dense settlements in the world. The problem it solves is big and real -- when a fire erupts in a slum or a dense settlement, it tends to spread fast and the devastation is widespread, especially considering that people in these settlements are from a lower socio-economic strata.

Lumkani fire detectors, use heat detection (as opposed to smoke detection), and give a more accurate and early warning for dangerous fires, when they start. Add to this the Lumkani fire detectors are networked with each other within a 60 meter radius. So when one of the devices detects a fire, all the networked devices will ring together, providing a warning to other people in the area.

The first Lumkani fire detectors were installed in November and December 2014 in South Africa in UT Gardens and Siyahlala’s D-section and they have already helped in preventing a couple of major fires in these two areas!