Fire spate sparking alert for extra care

Some were caused by electrical faults while others were started by cooking left unattended on kitchen stoves.
The spike has prompted Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Superintendent Greg Wright to encourage extra caution in the home.
“Households can’t afford to take their eye off the ball when it comes to the risk of fires,” Supt Wright said.
“This is especially true as the weather gets colder and we start to rely on heaters and cook more hot meals.”
Last winter, there were 1,063 residential fires In NSW, an increase of 119 on 2022, with “human activity accounting for 557 of those blazes”.
Eight people lost their lives and 115 others were injured.
Supt Wright said that in 462 of cases (43 per cent), the fires started in the kitchen or cooking areas so in other words … ’keep looking while you’re cooking’.
He said at at least three of the most recent fires in recent weeks were related to food catching alight on stoves.
“You can’t afford to be distracted when you’re cooking,” he said.
“The first thing residents should do is ensure they have at least one working smoke alarm installed in their homes.
“Test it … if it’s not working, replace it or book a Home Fire Safety Visit with your local FRNSW crew and we’ll come to your home and fit a smoke alarm, free of charge.
“If your smoke alarm has faded to an ugly yellow colour, it’s reached its 10-year use-by date and should be replaced immediately, only a working smoke alarm will save lives.”
Home Fire Safety Visits can be booked at fire.nsw.gov.au/visits