Preventable house fires are on the rise in the Dandenong area.
The CFA’s latest statistics showed there were 457 preventable house fires in district eight last year, which also includes Springvale, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Mornington, Phillip Island and Wonthaggi.
This was a two per cent increase on the previous year.
These fires caused $12.7 million in damage, the state’s highest district dollar figure.
Most preventable fires started in the kitchen, followed by bedrooms, lounge rooms, the roof or ceiling, and the laundry.
Cooking was the cause of 34 per cent of the preventable house fires, or 131 incidents.
Electrical was the next most common cause, accounting for 32 per cent, followed by heating at 13 per cent.
District eight acting operations manager Andrew Turner said working smoke alarms saved lives.
“This is clearly demonstrated through the fact that despite more than 450 preventable house fires and significant property loss in our district, there were no deaths as a result of preventable fires in 2017,” he said.
“Our message is clear.
“Check your smoke alarm’s battery, and if your smoke alarm is aged 10 years or more the whole unit should be changed.”
The CFA’s acting chief officer, Garry Cook, said the best way to stop a fire was to teach a person how to be safe in the home and stop a fire before it even began.
“This includes reaching out to our multi-cultural communities, making sure regardless of whether you speak English or not you are safe around fires,” he said.
“Whether we are educating people about not drying clothes too close to the heater, never leaving cooking unattended, or keeping lighters away from children, it is all part of our ultimate goal of protecting life and property.”
