Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has issued a warning to householders across the State to remain fire-safe around their homes as warmer weather shows signs of arriving.
Manager of Community Engagement for FRNSW, Superintendent Michael Jay said the warmer weather may result in householders becoming less vigilant about fire safety.
“We see an increase in the number of home fires in cold weather with more fires in bedrooms and lounge rooms due to heaters, electric blankets, and the like,” Supt Jay said.
“Don’t put yourself or your family at risk,” he said.
“We want to remind people to be careful when using heaters and to keep everything in the house ‘a metre from the heater’.”
Supt Jay said there were a number of steps people could take to reduce risk, such as: never leaving cooking unattended; not overloading power boards; turning off electric blankets at night; and not using outdoor heating or cooking equipment inside the home.
He also reminded residents that only working smoke alarms save lives.
“Test your smoke alarm today and make sure it’s fully operational.”
“On average, more than 30 per cent of preventable home fires occur at this time of year, with 60 per cent of these occurring overnight, between 6pm and 6am,” Supt Jay said.