Fire Safety in the Home

Most fatal fires occur in the home and can be prevented. Be proactive.

• Plan how you would escape a fire in your home.
• Plan and practise your home fire escape plan with your family.
• Complete the simple home fire safety checklist on www.homefiresafety.com.au – it could save your life.
• Only working smoke alarms save lives – check that your smoke alarm is working.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Install more than one smoke alarm in your home to increase early warning of a fire.
• Keep passageways and exits uncluttered.
• Make sure older family, friends and neighbours have a home fire escape plan and know what to do in the event of a fire.
• Plan and practise how you would escape a fire in your home.

Risky behaviour

• Keep electrical appliances and equipment in good working order – replace if damaged.
• Turn off electrical appliances and equipment at the power point when not in use.
• Have and know how to use your fire blanket and extinguisher.
• Keep clothing, curtains and toys at least one metre from heating.
• Dry clothes at least one metre from heating.
• Install, maintain and operate heaters according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Always use a fire screen in front of an open fire.
• Put out fires and turn off heaters before you go out or go to bed.
• Extinguish cigarettes, candles, incense and oil burners before leaving home or going to bed.
• Keep electric blankets flat with controls at the side of the bed.
• Regularly check electric blankets for broken and worn wiring.
• Turn electric blankets on no more than 30 minutes before you go to bed and turn off before you get into bed.
• Clean the lint filter on your clothes dryer after each load.
• Let your clothes dryer complete its cool-down cycle before stopping.
• Use candles, incense and oil burners only on stable, non-combustible surfaces.
• Use powerboards according to manufacturer's instructions – never overload and check regularly for damage.
• Never deadlock doors when you're at home and keep keys in deadlocks when you're home.
• Clean chimneys and flues at least once a year.

Visit the CFA's Home Fire Safety Checklist for more home fire safety advice.