WITH the colder months fast approaching Fire and Rescue NSW are appealing to local residents to stay fire safe this winter.
Some of the service’s best firefighters are urging residents to follow simple steps to help ensure they are fire safe this winter.
Fire and Rescue NSW Community Safety and Research Chief Superintendent Mick Morris is one such firefighter getting on the front foot in regards to winter fire safety saying the cooler months see a 10 per cent increase in the number of fires.
“Don’t put yourself or your family at risk,” Chief Superintendent Morris said.
“We want to remind people to be careful when using heaters and to keep everything in the house ‘a metre from the heater’.”
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Chief Superintendent Morris said residents should also ‘keep looking when cooking’ to avoid kitchen fire catastrophes.
““Kitchen fires account for 45 per cent of all residential fires and 34 per cent of injuries in NSW,” he said.
“Flames or heat sources being left unattended are the most common cause contributing to kitchen fires.
“It can take just three minutes for a fire to take hold, but only seconds to prevent one.
“To avoid kitchen fire catastrophes, we urge people to ‘keep looking when cooking’, it’s a simple way to avoid losing your home or even worse, your loved ones or your own life.”
Winter Fire Safety Tips:
- Turn off heaters and electric blankets before leaving home or getting into bed
- Clean lint filters in the clothes dryer before or after each use
- Don’t overload powerboards
- Keep candles away from curtains and put them out before leaving the room
- Don’t use LPG cylinders for cooking or heating indoors as they can leak and the gas is both toxic and highly explosive
- Ensure you have a working smoke alarm
- Never leave cooking unattended, if you leave the kitchen, turn off the stove, it takes just three minutes for a fire to take hold, but only seconds to prevent one.
- Don’t put anything metallic in the microwave
- Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children
- Don’t cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Turn pot handles inwards to avoid being knocked or grabbed by children
- Keep your oven and rangehood clean, excess grease and fat can ignite in a fire
- If your pan catches fire, don’t throw water on it – Get out, stay out and call 000
For more information, visit www.fire.nsw.gov.au
