Fires in the home
CFA attends more than 2000 house fires every year. There are more than 4,500 house fires every year in Victoria.
The most common causes of house fires are:
- Unattended cooking
- Electrical faults
- Faulty appliances
- Faulty wiring - Home heating
- Fixed and portable heaters
- Open fires and wood heaters
- Smoking
We are all responsible for fire safety in the home
Most home fires can be avoided - here are a few simple actions you can take to protect your home and family from fire:
- Regularly check risk areas see home fire safety checklist
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm
- Keep a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen
- Teach children to be careful around fire
- Prepare and practise a home fire escape plan
- Know how to get out of your house if there is a fire
Only working smoke alarms save lives
You're 60% less likely to survive a house fire without a working smoke alarm.
You can't smell smoke when you're asleep (we lose our sense of smell when we go to sleep). A smoke alarm is the only thing that will alert you if there is smoke from a fire.
