A cold snap has arrived and Barrington Tops has already received its first dusting of snow.
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That can only mean one thing - winter is on its way.
And no, that's not a reference to Game of Thrones but rather a reminder to the community about the dangers of fire in the home during the cooler months.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has urged residents to take every precaution to avoid a fire in the home.
Simple ways to prepare your home against the risk of fire this winter are:
- Turn off heaters and electric blankets before leaving the house or getting into bed.
- Clean lint filters in the clothes dryer before or after each use
- Don't overload power boards
- Keep candles away from curtains and put them out before leaving the room
- Don't use LPG cylinders for cooking or heating indoors as they can leak.
- Ensure you have a working smoke alarm
FRNSW community safety and research chief Superintendent Mick Morris said there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of house fires during winter, with more fires in bedrooms and lounge rooms due to heaters and electric blankets.
"Don't put yourself or your family at risk," he said.
"We want to remind people to be careful when using heaters and to keep everything in the house 'a metre from the heater'."
Residents are also reminded to 'keep looking when cooking' to avoid catastrophes in the kitchen.
"Kitchen fires account for 45 per cent of all residential fires and 34 per cent of injuries in NSW.
"Flames or heat sources being left unattended are the most common cause contributing to kitchen fires.
"It can take just three minutes for a fire to take hold, but only seconds to prevent one.
"To avoid kitchen fire catastrophes, we urge people to 'keep looking when cooking'.
"It's a simple way to avoid losing your home or even worse, your loved ones or your own life."
For more information, visit the Fire and Rescue NSW website here.
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