One small mistake could spark a fire that wipes out your house this winter.
That’s the word from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and the Country Fire Authority (CFA), who believe thousands of house fires across Victoria can be prevented by basic safety precautions.
The CFA and MFB joined forces last week to launch their Safe Mistake Zone campaign to increase awareness of the thousands of preventable home fires that are caused by small mistakes every year.
The MFB and CFA attended 64 fires in Wyndham in 2014, with an estimated damage bill of $2.92 million.
Unattended cooking, careless smoking habits, poorly maintained appliances or hanging clothes too close to a heater were all common causes.
MFB chief officer Peter Rau said Victorian firefighters attended an average of eight preventable house fires every day.
“While there are, literally, thousands of ways a house fire can start, they all boil down to one thing – a moment of carelessness, neglect or distraction,” he said.
“We want people to think twice before putting themselves and their homes at risk of fire.”
Of 3170 preventable house fires in Victoria in 2014, one third started in the kitchen.
For more information, go to www.safemistakezone.com.au
