Fire safety this winter

WINTER has arrived and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) are warning people not to be complacent when it comes to heating their homes.

The CFA has responded to more than 640 house fires caused by heaters in the past five years, mainly by mechanical faults or because heaters are too close to flammable materials.

CFA Chief Executive Officer Jason Heffernan is reminding people to turn their heater off before leaving the house or going to sleep.

“A common mistake we’re finding is households are keeping their drying clothes too close to heaters and fireplaces, so it’s best to ensure they are at least one metre away from all heating.”

There are a number of different ways people heat their homes including electrical or gas-powered appliances, kerosene heaters, open fires and more.

Mr Heffernan said Victorians should make sure their gas and electrical heaters are serviced every two years.

“Last year CFA responded to 87 house fires caused by heaters and in 2022 there were 199 fires.

“This decline is encouraging to see but ideally, we want to see a figure of zero.”

June 1 marked the first Smoke Alarm Action Day in Victoria, urging households to ensure they have working smoke alarms.

FRV Deputy Commissioner Community Safety Joshua Fischer said now is the time to install additional smoke alarms.

“In an emergency, every second counts and having working smoke alarms in the sleeping and living areas of your home will ensure you are alerted promptly in the event of a fire, buying you and your family precious time to escape.

“We want all Victorians to be aware that the colder months are some of the riskiest times of the year for fires in the home.”

When heating the home, FRV and the CFA recommends:

Drying clothes and other items must be kept at least one metre away from all home heating devices

Children must be supervised near all types of heating. Maintain a safe distance between children and heating.

Never leave portable heaters and fireplaces unattended; turn off heating devices before leaving home or going to sleep

Having gas heaters inspected and serviced every two years to ensure safety from carbon monoxide poisoning or fire.

For more information, head to cfa.vic.gov.au