Fire safety spreads across cultures

 The Dandenong Fire Brigade and community groups are taking cooking classes together to prevent potentially-deadly kitchen fires.
The program is targeting newly-arrived migrants who are not accustomed to western technology.
CFA spokesman Dylan Foote said many didn’t have basic experience with ovens and stoves.
So CFA multicultural engagement officer Nada El-Masri and firefighters from Dandenong CFA are hosting cooking classes.
The aim is to help culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities to use kitchens and utensils more safely, and teach them to prevent the spread of fire through a property or to others.
The program is also connecting CALD communities with existing services and the wider community, and empower them.
“CALD community members can often suffer from significant loneliness and disconnect from existing communities in their area,” Mr Foote said.
“CFA engagement can help them get a footing into their wider community and neighbourhood.”