When you are asleep you lose your sense of smell. A smoke alarm will alert you if there is smoke from a fire.

A small fire can grow quickly to burn an entire room in just two to three minutes. A smoke alarm provides early warning and time to escape.

All homes including, units, flats and townhouses in Australia are required by law to have smoke alarms.

If you don’t have a working smoke alarm installed in your home or business and a fire occurs, you are:

• 57% more likely to suffer property loss and damage
• 26% more likely to suffer serious injuries
• Four times more likely to die.

It is the responsibility of all owners and landlords to install working smoke alarms that comply with Australian Standards (AS 3786).

REMEMBER - TEST your smoke alarm monthly, DUST it annually, REPLACE your smoke alarm battery when daylight saving starts and finishes and REPLACE your smoke alarm every ten years.

Think about buying a fire blanket for use on small fires in the home, such as a flame on the stove.

Fire blankets should be checked to ensure they meet the Australian Standards.

Top fire survival tips:

• If your clothes catch fire, stop, drop and roll
• To help someone else, throw a woollen or cotton blanket over them to smother the flames – Only use a cotton or woollen blanket - Do NOT use a synthetic blanket
• Crawl low in smoke. The safest area for breathing is near the floor
• Use the back of your hand to check doors for heat before opening
• Close doors behind you if you can
• Don’t go back inside a burning building for any reason

Never lock your deadlocks when you're at home. During a fire it will be dark and smoky and a deadlocked door could block your escape. If you must keep deadlocks locked, leave your keys in the door.

A bushfire is a large fire that burns grass, bush, trees and forests. Bushfires can threaten life, houses, property and the environment.

Bushfires can move quickly burning large areas of bush, property and communities.

Bushfires in Victoria are more common in the hot dry months.

Bushfires can start from lightning but more often they are accidentally or deliberately lit by people.

Be aware of the fire risks in your area and always follow the advice and instructions given by Emergency Services.

If there is a Catastrophic Fire Warning for your area leave the area as early as possible and follow your Emergency Plan.

Never drive if you can see smoke or fire. Thick smoke will make it hard to see and traffic jams and accidents are more likely.

Keep roads clear for emergency services.

Grass fires can start anywhere and spread quickly. If you live next to grassland and a grass fire starts, walk at least two streets back from the fire. If you live two or three streets away from grassland and a grass fire starts, stay where you are, grass fires are unlikely to spread into built-up areas. Never drive if you can see smoke or fire. Thick smoke will make it hard to see and traffic jams and accidents are likely.

Keep roads clear for emergency services.

Most home fires can be prevented by taking some simple steps to make sure your home and family are safe.

Some of these steps are:

• Repair damaged electrical cords
• Make sure candles are out
• Keep electrical equipment – irons, hairdryers away from water
• Don’t smoke in your home or in bed
• Dispose of cigarettes in heavy, high-sided ashtrays
• Don’t leave food cooking on the stove
• Have a home fire escape plan and practice it regularly
• Practice your escape plan
• Make sure your fire exits are clear at all times
• Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside every bedroom where someone sleeps with the door closed
• De-clutter balconies and remove sources of heat such as barbeques. Keep air conditioning units clear of items

The Home Fire Safety Book provides more information to help you think about how to keep your home and family safe.

High rise buildings have challenges for both firefighters and residents that are not experienced in low rise housing:

• Living spaces close together
• Long evacuation times

If you live in a high rise building, it’s important to know what to do in the event of a fire

• Repair damaged electrical cords
• Make sure candles are out
• Keep electrical equipment – irons, hairdryers away from water
• Don’t smoke in your home or in bed
• Dispose of cigarettes in heavy, high-sided ashtrays. Never flick cigarettes outside or throw them into the garbage chute
• Don’t leave food cooking on the stove
• Have a home fire escape plan and practice it regularly
• Practice your escape plan
• Make a note of the nearest emergency exits in your building and practice using them
• Be familiar with your building evacuation alarm and be prepared to evacuate when you hear it
• Make sure your fire exits are clear at all times and notify your building manager of any issues in shared areas
• Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside every bedroom where someone sleeps with the door closed
• De-clutter balconies and remove sources of heat such as barbeques. Keep air conditioning units clear of items

After a fire you should have a plumber check your water supply and connections as they may be damaged.

If you have a property in a bushfire-affected area your water source could become contaminated from debris, ash, small dead animals or aerial fire retardants. If the water tastes, looks or smells unusual, do not drink it or give it to animals. Also, you should not source water from a creek that has been affected by bushfire as the water may be contaminated.

Water drawn from deep bores or wells should continue to be safe to use.
 

Houses, sheds and other buildings or structures burnt in a bushfire can leave potential health hazards, including:

• Fallen objects
• Sharp objects, broken glass
• Smouldering coals
• Damaged electrical wires
• Leaking gas
• Weakened or fallen walls

The fire may also release hazardous materials such as:

• Asbestos
• Ashes, especially from burnt treated timbers (such as copper chrome arsenate or 'CCA')
• LP gas cylinders
• Medicines
• Garden or farm chemicals
• Other general chemicals (for example, cleaning products)
• Metal and other residues from burnt household appliances
• Dust

When you are allowed to enter your house after a fire, protect yourself from sharp objects, loose dust or ash by wear protective clothing:

• gloves
• closed in shoes
• long sleeve shirts
• a face mask

When you are cleaning up after a fire:

• open windows and doors to ventilate your home
• wash all walls floors and furniture as well as all bedding cushions and clothing
• wash all clothing and dry clean items that cannot be washed

This information provides you with some advice on where to obtain a personal protection kit and how to use the equipment provided.

Asbestos was commonly used in all types of buildings, including homes and sheds that were built before 1990. It was used mostly in asbestos cement in walls and in roofs, floor underlays, eaves and chimney flues, and also in vinyl floor tiles and as backing to linoleum.

A fire can release asbestos fibres which may be dangerous to your health. This document explains what to do if you have concerns.

Chemical retardants are used to contain or slow fires when:

• the fire is large
• access by ground crews is difficult or unsafe
• when there will be a delay in crews arriving at the fire

The retardant contains chemicals that are generally found in a broad range of agricultural fertilisers and it is applied by dropping from an aircraft or a helicopter.

The chemical can be irritating to people, pets or other animals however they are not believed to have serious health risks.

Retardant is purchased from the supplier as a dry powder which is mixed with water, using specially designed equipment, to form a similar consistency to tomato sauce.

This chemical can be washed off houses, building, cars or other surfaces by scrubbing the surface with warm soapy water. You are advised to use gloves for this cleaning.