The terrifying fire risk in almost every home
Experts have revealed the terrifying fire risk present in almost every Aussie home.
Ahead of the sporting grand finals this weekend, Fire and Rescue NSW warns homeowners of ‘minor explosions’ and fire risks from poorly maintained barbecues.
“We’re really asking people out there to just check your barbecue,” Fire and Rescue NSW, Superintendent Norman Buckley told Yahoo7.
“Gas fires, if you’ve got leaks there can be minor explosions that can impact on people.”
He revealed the most surprising BBQ mistake that people make, saying many use theirs indoors.
“Those barbecues, whether they’re gas cylinders or whether they’re heat beads, are designed for outside use,” Superintendent Buckley said.
“Using them inside is extremely dangerous.”
“We have had incidents where people have used them inside and it had caused some fires or caused some accidents and we really don’t like to see that.
“They do produce gases that if they are used inside, those gases will accumulate in there, instead of being ventilated by being used outside.
Top BBQ safety tips
Superintendent Buckley said that people should never try to speed up a BBQ’s flames.
“Especially if you’re using those heat beads, we ask that you never, ever, ever use accelerants, such as petrol or any sort of flammable liquid,” he said.
“It’s extremely dangerous to throw any sort of accelerants on those heat beads.
“You just have to be patient, follow the instructions.”
For a safe BBQ, supervision and maintenance are key factors.
“Check that it’s clean, check that your gas cylinder is full or if using heat beads, that they’re the correct heat beads that your need to use.
“Make sure it’s clean, not too much fat maybe left over from the other times.”
“Always have a responsible adult when you’re barbecuing.
“If you’re cooking outside with your barbecue, make sure you stay there, don’t leave the barbecue unattended.”
In the summer months, it’s good to have a water source near the BBQ in case things get out of hand.
“Really good if you can have a continuous water supply aswell, such as a garden hose, if things do go wrong,” he said.
“If you’ve got that hose line there, you can quickly attack a fire.”
Home fire safety tips
Inside the home, Superintendent Buckley urges people to check out Fire and Rescue NSW’s home fire safety checklist and shared his top tips for home fire safety.
Be wary of trapped dust
He also advised people to regularly clean and maintain their tumble dryers.
“Check your electrical cabling, if it looks a bit frayed or it looks a bit dodgy, have a qualified electrician check them out,” he said.
“Good house keeping” is important in reducing fire risks and Superintendent Buckley urges people to clean their homes regularly.
“Dust can really easily ignite,” he said.
Don’t overload power boards
The fire expert urges people to “use power boards the way they’re designed.”
“If it’s a power board for six power points, with six power points, just use those six power points, Superintendent Buckley said.
“Don’t put a double adaptor in. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.”
Keep looking while cooking
A common cause of home fires, is unattended kitchens.
“Keep looking while cooking,” he said.
“If the phone goes, don’t leave the kitchen and go talk outside. If you leave the kitchen, turn those elements off, turn those burners off.”
Call triple zero
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends that people check their smoke alarms, and opt for ‘interconnected’ systems which set off alarms in all rooms.
Under NSW law, smoke alarms are compulsory in all buildings where people sleep.
No matter how small the fire, Superintendent Buckley urges people to ring 000 for help.
“If you have that fire, and you may even think its quite small, triple zero,” he said.
“Ring that triple zero number and get our trucks on the road, very, very quickly.”
