Home Fire Safety Some Important Information

In most city centres or metropolitan areas there could be up to 10,000 to 15,000 structure fires every 12 months. That is every 12 months. I always ask the question, which structures do most of these fires occur in????

Most people initially say factories, office buildings or Major Hazard Facilities, but no.

During my time as a Melbourne Firefighter 80% of all structure fires I attended were domestic dwellings, that's your house and my house. 80% of all those house fires I attended started, not in the kitchen but in bedrooms.

The building code only protects commercial or industrial buildings and does very little in protecting the structures where most fires occur. As an example before a business can occupy any building all types of fire detection and suppression systems must be installed before an occupancy certificate is issued. There are also strict requirements on the testing and maintenance of these systems as well as OHS requirements to protect the people occupying them. As an example fire extinguishers, fire blankets, hose reels, plus items such as smoke detectors and sprinkler systems as well as fire doors and fire penetration must be in place. But if I asked the question what fire protection must be in place before we move into our houses, most would realise its only a smoke detector. These smoke detectors are not installed in the rooms where most fires start.

The average family home with three or four bedrooms will have up to 100 electrical items plugged in going 24/7. Please do an audit of your house you will surprised

Most house do not have a Fire extinguisher, most houses do not have a fire blanket, no houses do not have sprinkler systems and most houses do not have an evacuation plan, no one tests and tags their electrical equipment (very few)

But these structures have the most fires.

What starts fires in your home??? Electrical equipment and wiring, power surges, candles, oil burners and incense, human error, cooking, smoking, playing with lighters etc. No electrical equipment is tested and tagged as it is in the workplace, very few people service their electrical equipment or change extension leads and power boards. So if a fire started in your house and you did not have a fire extinguisher, How would you put it out???? If a fire started in one of your bedrooms, how would you get early warning if the smoke detector is in the hallway with the door shut? Do your family know where to evacuate to if they had to get out of the house?

The below may save your home and maybe a life. Do not think it will not happen to you because it happens in so many homes each year. The building code will not protect you at home so you must do it yourself.

• Please buy a $25 fire extinguisher from your hardware. shake it every 3-6 months and show your family how to use them.
• Please buy a $20 fire blanket, for cooking fires, clothes that may catch on fire and as a thermal blanket to protect you from heat.
• Please install smoke detectors inside the bedrooms for early warning. They need to be inside these rooms. Double sided tape and battery power will work for you
• Please check down lights that may not have heat covers on the inside of the roof.
• Please audit how many electrical items you have plugged in, inside each room (especially bedrooms).
• Please change power boards and extension leads on a regular basis.
• Please discuss with your family where and how to evacuate your home. The letter box is an ideal meeting place
• Please service major electrical equipment and gas heating where necessary or change or get checked by a trades person on a regular basis.
• I hope these points do not fall on deaf ears. Stay Safe