Fire safety in the home

1. Smoke alarms

All homes should have smoke alarms in or near bedrooms. If your house has multiple storeys, there needs to be a smoke alarm on every floor of the house.

2. Fire blankets

Fire blankets are made of fibreglass and can be thrown over fires caused by cooking oil, such as a burning chip pan or saucepan. A fire blanket can even be wrapped around a small child whose clothes have caught fire.

3. ABE fire extinguisher

The type of fire extinguisher recommended for indoor use is known as an ABE extinguisher. These can be used on fires involving paper, wood and most other household materials.

4. Accessibility

Many household fires take place in the kitchen, so it's vital to have an extinguisher nearby. However, make sure that the extinguisher is located near the entrance to the kitchen so you don't have to go through the fire to get to it.

5. BE fire extinguisher

BE fire extinguishers are generally used for oil and petrol fires. It's a good idea to always have one handy in the garage.

6. Maintaining fire extinguishers

A fire extinguisher's pressure can be checked simply by reading the gauge, or, on some models, by pressing a button. A fire extinguisher with low pressure will need to be serviced by a maintenance company.

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