Returning home has become a routine of reassurance for Hamidah Ismail, 52, who carefully checks the windows and doors of her Wakaf Bharu house, all reinforced with iron grilles.
For Hamidah, the grilles represent peace of mind — a shield protecting her family from crime, especially the break-ins that have become increasingly common in housing areas.
“People are getting more desperate these days, and break-ins are on the rise. So, we feel safer when all our windows and doors are fitted with grilles,” she told Bernama recently.
Yet her sense of security is shaken by frequent reports of fire victims who died trapped behind the very grilles meant to protect them.
A SAD REALITY: WHEN GRILLES TURN INTO A GRAVE
Hamidah’s fears are not unfounded. Sharing his experience, Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said every fire tragedy involving deaths due to fixed grilles leaves an unforgettable scar.
“Grilles that cannot be opened from inside make rescue operations very difficult. We need to use crowbars or power cutters to break them, and this takes extra time. In a fire, every minute is critical as toxic smoke and high temperatures can kill victims very quickly,” he said.
In Kelantan alone, since 2004, at least three fire-related deaths have been recorded where victims could not escape because of iron grilles. Among them was an elderly woman who perished when her main grille door was locked with an external padlock.
“The padlock was on the outside. The fire spread from the kitchen and living room, leaving no way out. By the time we arrived, she was already unconscious from inhaling thick smoke,” he said.
In Sarawak, a tragic case saw two grandmothers and their two grandchildren trapped upstairs. The blaze began on the lower floor, blocking the staircase, while upstairs window grilles were padlocked shut. They were later found burned to death, clinging to each other in a bedroom.
“Such incidents leave a deep mark on every rescuer. We can imagine the victims desperately seeking safety, but in the end, they could only wait for death,” he said.
Even digital-coded grille doors, though sophisticated and seemingly secure, can become death traps during emergencies — especially if victims panic and forget the code or the system fails.
In one case in Selangor, a victim died of smoke inhalation after forgetting the digital code in panic, unable to unlock the grille in time.
“This is what we want the public to understand. Grilles are important for crime prevention, but they must be life-friendly. Otherwise, they stop being protection and become your own grave,” he stressed.
FEAR-DRIVEN: SECURITY FOCUS, LIFE OVERLOOKED
Farhan Sufyan noted that many homeowners prioritise protection against burglars while neglecting safety during emergencies.
In moments of panic, locating a padlock key or recalling a digital code is nearly impossible.
“Usually in panic, our brains fail to focus. In thick smoke and darkness, people forget where the key is. Sometimes the padlock is hidden for security, but in the end, it becomes a trap,” he explained.
He added that some owners use large padlocks, or even multiple locks, unaware this delays rescue efforts.
“Imagine firefighters arriving to find two padlocks on the front grille. We have to cut them one by one, while the fire spreads and smoke fills the house. Victims inside may suffocate within minutes,” he said.
More worrying are welded grilles with no opening panels or escape windows. While sturdier, they provide no way out if the main door is blocked by fire or collapse.
“The safest option is a grille with a simple quick-release system that can be opened from inside. But many are afraid burglars might figure it out,” he said.
NO MANDATORY STANDARD, ONLY IGNORED ADVICE
Despite recurring tragedies, Farhan Sufyan said JBPM has no authority to enforce grille design standards for homes in Malaysia.
Installation and design remain the choice of homeowners and contractors.
Still, JBPM recommends every home have at least one emergency exit free from padlocks or codes.
“We cannot mandate specific designs, but the most important thing is at least one exit that can be opened quickly. If all grilles are padlocked or welded, the risk of entrapment is very high,” he said.
JBPM recommends quick-release grilles, which can be fully opened from inside by simply turning a latch.
Such designs are widely used in Singapore and Hong Kong, especially in high-rise apartments, ensuring an escape route during fires or earthquakes.
But in Malaysia, such life-friendly designs are less popular, with homeowners preferring strength over survivability.
“Without public awareness and mindset change, tragedies will continue, with homes turning into deadly traps,” he warned.
THE “IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME” MYTH
According to Farhan Sufyan, a major challenge for firefighters is the public mindset that fires won’t happen to them.
“Many think fires only happen to other people’s homes. They don’t realise a single faulty socket or overloaded extension cord can spark a fire,” he said firmly.
In Kelantan alone, JBPM statistics show 78 per cent of house fires are caused by electrical issues, including old wiring, high-powered appliances used simultaneously, and unsafe wiring extensions.
“Some use multiple extension plugs on one socket. Others live in houses with 20-year-old wiring never inspected. These are time bombs,” he said.
Fires can break out anytime, without warning — while residents are asleep, at work, or even at home during the day.
“The real danger is not the flames, but toxic smoke that fills rooms within minutes. Without a quick escape route, victims can pass out from suffocation before the flames reach them,” he warned.
As long as the “not me” myth persists, deaths caused by grille entrapment will continue, he said.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: STILL UNDERESTIMATED
Farhan Sufyan also lamented that most households still lack fire extinguishers, despite them costing less than RM100.
“People don’t buy them because they think it’s a waste. They don’t realise it can save lives and property,” he said.
Most Malaysians believe extinguishers are only necessary in offices, shops, or factories, where they are legally required. But at home, awareness is nearly absent, despite high residential fire rates each year.
“If a fire starts in the kitchen, for example a burning pot, an extinguisher can put it out immediately before it spreads to curtains or the ceiling,” he said.
Extinguishers not only put out small fires but also buy valuable escape time when flames spread rapidly.
“In a big fire, even if you can’t put it out, you can use it to clear an escape path. Without one, survival depends on luck,” he said.
In developed countries like Japan and South Korea, extinguishers are basic household items, as essential as flashlights, first aid kits, or emergency supplies.
“In Malaysia, people only realise their importance after their house burns down. By then, it’s too late,” he said.
FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGNS: FROM KINDERGARTEN TO COMMUNITIES
To counter this perception, JBPM Kelantan actively conducts fire safety campaigns in schools and communities. This year alone, 158 fire safety programmes have been held statewide, including evacuation drills and extinguisher training.
“We start educating children in kindergarten, primary school, and communities. The most important thing is they know the first action during a fire,” he said.
Teaching children from a young age is key to building a more fire-aware generation, he added.
At the community level, programmes emphasise fire prevention: maintaining wiring, checking appliances, and choosing life-friendly grilles.
“We also teach them how to use extinguishers. Many don’t know — they think it must be shaken or aimed at the flames on top. Actually, you pull the pin, aim at the base of the fire, and spray from a one-metre distance while moving forward,” he explained.
But he admitted that the biggest challenge is ensuring people apply this knowledge in daily life.
“Awareness without action means nothing. We can train and lecture, but if at home they still leave faulty wiring or install grilles without escape routes, tragedies will continue,” he said.
WHEN GRILLES STOP BEING PROTECTION
Farhan Sufyan reminded that while keeping homes safe from burglars is important, safeguarding lives must always take precedence.
“If fire breaks out and padlocks can’t be opened, or digital codes are forgotten, those grilles stop being protection. They become a death trap,” he said.
Many homeowners, he said, focus too much on protecting belongings and forget their homes are supposed to safeguard their families.
“There’s no point spending thousands on the strongest grille in the market if it ends up blocking your family’s escape.
“We must ask ourselves — are we willing to risk lives just because we fear burglars?” he asked.
True safety, he stressed, means residents always have a way out.
“It’s not wrong to protect against theft. But never at the cost of your life,” he said.
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