How to keep your child and family safe from home fires

There are 4 key things you can do to keep your family safe from home fires:

• Install working smoke alarms.
• Reduce the risk of fire hazards around your home.
• Make a home fire escape plan for your family.
• Have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket, and know how to use them.

Children are at higher risk of injury and death from home fires than adults. That’s because children can’t escape on their own. They need adults to help them get outside to safety.

Smoke alarms: what types to use and where to put them

Smoke alarms are essential for home fire safety. This is because smoke alarms give you an early warning if there’s a fire. This gives you a chance to get your family out of the house to a safe location.

It’s the law that all Australian homes must have smoke alarms.

What types of smoke alarms to use

In some states, the law says homes must have photoelectric smoke alarms. For information on the type and location of smoke alarms required in your state or territory, go to your local fire service website.

It’s recommended that smoke alarms are interconnected. In an interconnected system, when one alarm goes off, they all go off. This gives people more time to escape.

If a family member is deaf or has profound hearing loss, you can get smoke alarms that use a strobe light and vibrating pad instead.

Where to put smoke alarms

In all states and territories, the law says that all homes must have smoke alarms:

• between each bedroom area, which is usually the hallway
• on each level if you have a multi-storey house.

In Queensland, the law says that smoke alarms must also be in all bedrooms.

All fire services recommend installing smoke alarms in all hallways, living areas, bedrooms and anywhere children sleep. They also recommend installing interconnected smoke alarms in garages.

How to maintain smoke alarms

Here’s how to keep smoke alarms in working order:

• Replace the entire alarm when it reaches its expiry date, which is usually 10 years.
• If you have standard 9-volt battery-powered smoke alarms, change the batteries once a year, at the same time each year.
• Test your alarms every month by pressing the test button and listening for the beep.
• Keep your alarms dust free. Clean them at least once a year.

The number, location and interconnection of smoke alarms is more important than the type of alarm technology. That’s because no single alarm sensor technology works best in all fire conditions.

How to reduce fire hazards around your home

Barbecues

• Check the gas cylinder’s expiry date. Replace it if it’s more than 10 years old.
• Check that the gas cylinder’s hose connections are tight, there’s no leakage, and the hose is in good condition with no signs of cracking, damage or wear.
• Always store gas cylinders upright and away from heat sources. Turn gas cylinders off when you’re not using them.
• Clean your barbecue regularly to remove grease and fat, including the drip tray.
• Never put flammable liquid on a barbecue.
• Turn off the barbecue when you’ve finished cooking.
• Keep a dry powder fire extinguisher nearby. Use it only if there’s a small fire and you can use it safely.

Batteries and chargers

• Don’t use damaged chargers, and don’t charge damaged batteries.
• Don’t charge devices overnight.
• Don’t charge devices like vapes, phones and laptops on soft surfaces like couches, beds and pillows.
• Check e-scooters and e-bikes for damage before charging them. Only charge them outside or in your garage.
• Charge devices using only the charger that came with them or that’s recommended for them.

Bedrooms

• If you use electric blankets, turn them on in the hour before bedtime and then turn them off when you go to bed.
• If you use baby monitors or electrical devices to help your child fall asleep, make sure they’re in good condition. Turn them off once your child is asleep.

Electrical appliances

• Unplug electrical appliances when they’re not in use and put them out of reach of your child.
• Turn off electrical appliances, except for fridges and freezers, before going to bed.
• Immediately replace faulty or worn-out electrical appliances and appliances with frayed cords.

Kitchen and cooking

• Don’t leave cooking unattended on the stove. If you get distracted, turn the stove off.
• Keep your stove, griller, oven, rangehood and cooking area clean. Remove grease, oil and dust regularly.
• Keep cloth and paper towels away from the stove.
• If deep-frying or using a wok, make sure flames can’t get into the fat, and keep an eye on the temperature of the oil.
• Install a fire blanket on the wall in your kitchen, away from the stove. Use a fire blanket only if you can use it safely and confidently.

Laundry

• Make sure there’s airflow around your clothes dryer. Let the dryer finish its ‘cool-down’ cycle. Clean the dryer’s lint filter every time you use it.
• Don’t let washing machines or clothes dryers run while you’re asleep.

Matches and lighters

• Use child-resistant lighters.
• Keep matches and lighters, including stove and barbecue lighters, out of reach of your child at all times.
• Encourage your child to tell an adult if they find matches or lighters.

Open fires and heaters

• Use a guard around open fires, pot-bellied stoves, gas fires or electric heaters. You can secure a guard by attaching it to the wall.
• Clear space around your heater. Anything that could catch fire – like curtains, clothing, bedding, toys and extra firewood – should never be within 1 m of your heater or fireplace.
• Turn off heaters at the power source when you’re not using them and when you go to bed. If you have a fireplace, extinguish the fire before you go to bed or leave your house.
• Always supervise your child around fire pits and open fires.
• Teach your child that fire is hot and dangerous.
• Tell your young child to stay away from heaters and fireplaces even when they’re not in use.

Power boards and power outlets

• If you need extra power outlets, get an electrician to install them.
• Use power boards according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Never overload power boards and check them regularly for damage.
• Avoid using double adaptors.

Smoking and vaping

• Never leave lit cigarettes unattended.
• Make sure cigarettes are put out before disposing of them.
• Put used cigarettes in a bin rather than an ashtray. If you use an ashtray, make sure it has deep sides, and empty it regularly into an outdoor bin.
• Check furniture for cigarette butts and ashes before going to bed.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when vaping.

It’s a good idea to have an electrical safety switch on your switchboard. By law, all new homes must have these switches. Electrical safety switch requirements vary across Australian states and territories, so check the requirements where you live. If you need an electrical safety switch installed, contact a licensed electrician.

Why a home fire escape plan is important and how to make one

Why a fire escape plan is important

If you have a home fire escape plan and there’s a fire, you’ll be able to follow your escape plan, get out quickly and avoid smoke inhalation and injury.

How to make a fire escape plan for your home

1. Visit the website of your state, territory or regional fire authority to get home fire escape plan information and templates.
2. Draw a floor plan of your home.
3. Plan your escape route, including 2 exits from each room.
4. Keep all exits clear. Keep door and window keys in or next to locks.
5. Decide where you’ll meet outside the house.
6. If you have a partner, agree with them on who will help your child get out.
7. Check that everyone knows about the escape plan. Practise it regularly.

What to do if there’s a fire

1. Follow your fire escape plan.
2. Get down low as you exit your home.
3. Meet at the agreed place.
4. Call 000 and say ‘fire’. Use a neighbour’s phone if your phone is still inside.
5. Never go back inside the house. Make sure your child stays with you too.
6. Start first aid for burns if needed.

How to use fire extinguishers and fire blankets

For home fire safety, it’s a very good idea to have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket that conform to Australian Standards. You can buy these from hardware shops.

• Store your extinguisher or blanket within easy reach but away from cooking areas. For example, store them near the entrance to the kitchen.
• Regularly read and remind yourself of the manufacturer’s instructions for using this equipment.
• If there’s a fire, follow the instructions for using the equipment.
• Once you’ve used the equipment to put out the fire, call 000 and say ‘fire’. The fire authority will need to come and check that the fire hasn’t spread.

Note: never use water to put out an oil, electrical or fat fire.

It’s recommended that you use a fire extinguisher or fire blanket only if you feel physically and mentally able to use the equipment safely.