Fire Safety Warning !

 Here we are, on the cusp of winter and that is the season most house fires occur.   When the first cold snap hits we turn on heaters that have been unused all summer and often these are old and have been around for years.  Often, they have lost a degree of efficiency and replacement delivers better warmth at a lower cost and improved safety.

Alarm is being expressed about the use of unflued gas heaters.  The flame that gives warmth also releases carbon monoxide gas and it is essential that the room in which it is used has a degree of ventilation.  That is the same reason why it is dangerous to bring BBQ's and other outdoor cooking equipment indoors because carbon monoxide intake quickly leads to loss of conscious - and death.

Another common cause of house fires is electric blankets. They definitely have a use by date and become dangerous with age.  The natural wear and tear can cause a short circuit in the internal wiring and often people forget to turn them off when they wake and arise.  They are relatively cheap to replace and should be discarded at the first signs of wear.

The fire brigades despair at the number of homes that are not protected by a smoke alarm.  Even worse are the homes with a smoke alarm serviced by a battery that has not been replaced in years and which is not working, but delivering a false sense of security.

Many people owe their life to the shrill alarm sounded by their smoke alarm when it awakes them to evacuate safely.  Our sense of smell ceases to work when we are asleep and a smouldering house fire also releases carbon monoxide gas which dulls the householders response.

It is a good idea to set a date annually on which the battery in the smoke alarm should be automatically replaced.  As a general rule, once a year replacement should be efficient and smoke alarms have a safety device which allows battery life to be checked.

All that is required is to press the protruding knob in the centre of the alarm and the device will emit a loud alarm that proves that the battery is active.  It is a good idea to make this test three or four times a year as a fire precaution.

It is not well known, but the fire brigades provide a service for the elderly and people with a disability who may have difficulty in replacing the battery in smoke alarms.  If they are advised that such help is needed, they will arrange for an officer to attend the house and in most cases they will supply the needed battery free of charge.

Perhaps the best fire precaution the average householder can take is to buy and install a smoke alarm.. Considering the ever escalating cost of the average home the few dollars to provide protection is very good value.  There is never a better time than now - at the start of winter !