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Emergency Information: 13 3337
SES Emergency Assistance: 132 500
Installing and maintaining working smoke alarms can improve your safety, as they will alert you if a fire has started in your home, giving you time to escape.
It’s recommended that you put a smoke alarm in every room, outside each bedroom and on every level of your home and have them interconnected.
A small fire can engulf an entire room in two to three minutes, leaving little time to escape.
Making a home fire safety plan with your household is simple and could save your life.
Practising your plan will help you to respond better during a fire when you’re stressed or have just woken up.
Ion-lithium batteries, or LI batteries, are a major cause of house fires in WA. LI battery fires are sudden and intense, often throwing battery cells several metres which can cause several fires simultaneously.
There are several reasons a fire may occur in Lithium Ion battery operated equipment, including overcharging, overheating, poorly manufactured batteries and impact damage to batteries.
Increasingly, garages and workshops are becoming a high risk area due to the number of battery powered tools. Batteries left on charge in garages and worksheds have resulted in devastating fires due to overcharging. With so many flammable items kept in these facilities these types of fires spread quickly and can destroy a home in minutes.
To prevent the risk of devices catching fire, use approved batteries and charging devices
Poorly manufactured chargers and charge cables have been identified as the cause in many house fires in WA. Only use manufacturers’ approved equipment and batteries. Be careful when ordering products online.
For more information including your consumer rights, please visit Ion-lithium battery safety.
Unattended cooking is a major cause of home fires.
Unattended heat sources in the kitchen are responsible for one in seven house fires.
IMPORTANT! Never use water to put out a fat or oil fire, as this will cause the fat to explode and the fire to spread.
It is very dangerous to install or repair any kind of electrical component or appliance yourself. Use a licenced electrical contractor to install, check and maintain your home electrical needs and appliances.
If you’re concerned about faulty installation or repairs, contact a licenced electrical contractor immediately.
If the electrical appliance has been purchased internationally or obtained in a used condition, you should check that it complies with Western Australian electrical safety regulations, and have it inspected and tested before use.
Appliances, especially heaters and electric blankets, can develop faults and be the subject of product safety recalls. Check the Product Safety Australia website to search for product recalls.
You can improve the safety of your household by making some simple changes when smoking or using candles.
Fires can start from:
All fireplaces should:
You can improve your safety by putting a smoke alarm in every room, outside each bedroom and on every level of your home.
Learn about which smoke alarm to install and where to place it.
As part of your home fire escape plan, you need to consider how you will exit safely and quickly. Follow these helpful tips on the safe use of doors, windows and home security.
If you live in a multi-storey building it’s important to know the specific fire safety and evacuation details of that building and what to do if a fire alarm is activated.
In case there is a fire, it’s important to have quick access to fire safety equipment, including a fire extinguisher and fire blanket.
Both the fire extinguisher and fire blanket should be located near an exit, where they are easily accessible.
