People leaving food unattended while cooking is one of the main causes of preventable house fires in Melton.
“There’s too much carelessness when it comes to house fires,’’ senior station officer Paul Hopkins said.
“A lot of people are leaving food unattended while cooking, which is something you just can’t do.
“Other common causes include
people not putting out cigarettes properly or having smoke alarms that aren’t working.”
Latest CFA figures show there were 80 preventable house fires in Melton last year, up from 70 the year before.
In Moorabool, there were 17 preventable house fires in the same period, five more than 2012.
Mr Hopkins said there had been a spike in the number of preventable house fires in January and February. He encouraged people to check smoke alarms once a month to ensure they are working properly. CFA deputy chief officer Steve Warrington said residents should change their smoke alarm batteries at the end of daylight saving on April 6.
He recommended that residents check their smoke alarms each month and vacuum around smoke alarm vents once a year.
“Smoke alarms are crucial in giving you and your family the early warning needed to escape a fire,’’ Mr Warrington said.
‘‘When it comes to protecting your family and yourself, a working smoke alarm tested regularly and a rehearsed home escape plan are easy tasks to ensure everyone in the family is given plenty of warning and knows what to do should a fire occur.”
» Fire safety checklist: bit.ly/1hqY76d
