Fire Chief warning after spate of Sydney unit fires
Published: 10th April 2013
Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Greg Mullins has warned NSW residents not to be complacent about home fire safety following a spate of unit fires in Sydney today (Wednesday 10 April).
Firefighters were called to five Sydney unit fires - one each in Fairfield, Camperdown and Waitara and two in the Sydney CBD - in just over 12 hours since midnight.
“Every day firefighters attend home fires that could have been prevented with a few simple steps and precautions,” Commissioner Mullins said.
“While the cause of these recent unit fires may be different, we urge all residents not to be complacent about home fire safety, especially with winter just around the corner and temperatures starting to dip.
“People assume it will never happen to them. But I assure you it can. The most important thing you can do in your home is to have a working photoelectric smoke alarm and a practiced home escape plan.”
People can greatly reduce their risk from fire by identifying and changing risky behaviours and habits, including:
Turning off heaters before going to sleepKeeping clothing and other flammable materials at least 1m from heaters and open firesTurning off electric blankets before going to sleepNot overloading power points and power boardsNot leaving cooking, and other open-flame materials such as cigarettes and candles, unattended.
To help identify potential risks in the home everybody is encouraged do a free FRNSW/GIO online home fire safety audit at www.homefiresafetyaudit.com.au
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