Fire safety in your home

Fire safety in your home means reducing the chance of a house fire by using safe everyday habits, like staying in the kitchen while cooking. Many home fires start in the kitchen.

Serious and severe burns happen more often in winter, when heaters tend to be used.

Common fire hazards at home include:

• leaving cooking unattended (for example, leaving the kitchen while something is on the stove)
• overloading power boards by plugging power strips into each other
• unsafe charging of devices, especially charging at night while you are asleep
• charging devices on soft furniture, such as sofas or chairs, which can overheat more easily
• not cleaning the dryer lint filter after each cycle, so lint builds up and can catch fire
• charging e-bikes incorrectly
• using fireplaces incorrectly

Install smoke alarms throughout your home and test them every month. Change the batteries every year, for example on a memorable date such as a birthday.

Make sure you and your family know more than one safe way out of every room. Write down your fire escape plan and practise it regularly.

Make sure children know that if their clothes catch fire, they must n ot run. Running makes the flames burn hotter and faster. Instead, tell them to:

• STOP immediately where they are
• DROP to the ground and cover their face with their hands
• ROLL over and over to put out the flames

Every Australian state and territory fire authority has resources to help children understand what to do in a fire. This includes easy-to-remember advice such as 'get down low and go, go, go!'.

Here are tips to help keep your home fire safe:

• Keep curtains, tablecloths and bedding away from portable heaters.
• Keep wet clothes at least 1 metre from heaters or fireplaces. Never place clothes or towels on a heater.
• Clean the lint filter every time you use a clothes dryer. Built-up lint can catch fire.
• Never use your gas oven or stove as a room heater.
• Always keep children away from open heat sources such as fireplaces and gas stoves. Remember that even clothing labelled 'low fire danger' can still catch fire.

Also make sure you never leave appliances on or flames burning:

• Use just 1 appliance per power point and switch them off when not in use. Heaters use a lot of power and may overload the supply and cause a fire.
• Never leave burning candles or any open flame unattended.
• Store matches and lighters in a safe place, out of reach of young children.

How do I use e-bikes safely?

E-bike lithium-ion batteries can cause serious fires if damaged or charged incorrectly. To stay safe:

• use only approved chargers made for your e-bike
• never charge overnight or unattended
• keep batteries away from bedrooms — charge them on hard surfaces that can't catch on fire, such as concrete floors or tiles
• install a smoke alarm or heat alarm where you charge or store your e-bike
• do not use damaged batteries and always recycle old batteries safely

How do I use lithium-ion batteries safely?

Lithium-ion batteries are a growing fire and health risk in homes and workplaces. This is because they can overheat, catch fire or release dangerous gases if not used correctly. They are found in laptops, mobile phones, e-bikes, e-scooters and power tools.

Here are some tips to use lithium-ion batteries safely:

• Don't throw away lithium-ion batteries or products in household rubbish — take them to approved recycling points.
• Disconnect devices from chargers once they are fully charged.
• Don't leave devices unattended or overnight, especially large batteries.

How do I safely use my fireplace?

If you have a fireplace in your home, make sure the chimney is clean and not blocked. Always place an approved safety screen in front of the fireplace while it is in use.

Never burn rubbish such as plastics, foam or wood that is painted or treated with chemicals. These can release toxic (poisonous) smoke.

Burns can be caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, gases, friction and radiation (including sunlight). The aim of first aid for burns is to:

• stop the burning process
• cool the burn (for pain relief)
• cover the burn

Immediate first aid steps

If someone has a burn, act straight away to reduce injury and support recovery. Follow these immediate first aid steps:

• Cool the burn with running water for at least 20 minutes.
• Remove tight clothing and objects such as rings, watches or jewellery, unless they are stuck to the skin.
• Cover the burnt area with a light, loose, non-stick dressing. Use clean, dry, non-fluffy material such as plastic cling film.
• If possible, elevate the burnt limb to minimise swelling.
• Keep the person covered to prevent them from getting cold.
• Call for help.

Call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance if you or someone else has a burn and:

• the burn is large — bigger than the size of a person's hand or covers a big part of the body
• the burn is on the face, hands, feet, genitals or bottom
• the skin looks damaged — brown, black, white or leathery
• the burn is on a child
• the burn was caused by chemicals, electricity or lightning
• the person is also badly injured in another way (for example from a crash or fall)
• the person has trouble breathing

For more information on first aid for burns, read the burns and scalds fact sheet (Opens in new tab) from St John Ambulance Australia.

Fire and Rescue NSW (Opens in new tab) has a fact sheet on how to prepare your home to prevent fire.

Fire Rescue Victoria offers information on smoke alarms

Country Fire Authority (Opens in new tab) has information on heating your home.

Energy Safe Victoria (Opens in new tab) has information on heating your home with gas.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (Opens in new tab) has a guide to choosing and buying children's nightwear.

Learn about the Aboriginal Communities Program (Opens in new tab) run by Fire and Rescue NSW, which includes community fire units in areas with large Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.

Languages other than English

Fire Rescue Victoria (Opens in new tab) has resources in languages other than English to keep you and your community safe from fires.