A fire at a home in Bradley Street on Saturday morning has prompted Fire and Rescue NSW Station 256 Cobar Brigade Captain Alex Lennon to issue a reminder to the public about heater safety.
Captain Lennon reported his crew responded to the fire at 10.50am on Saturday morning.
He said the cause of the fire appeared to be cardboard being stored too close or had fallen near a small bar heater in the bedroom.
“It caught alight and thankfully the heat woke the occupant up who was asleep in the room,” Captain Lennon reported.
“The fire was contained to the one room and was extinguished within 20 minutes.
“This is a reminder that it doesn’t take much at all to start a fire, which quickly spreads.
“All items must be at least one metre from the heater,” Captain Lennon advised.
“Thankfully, the quick-thinking occupant safely evacuated, closed the bedroom door to try and minimize damage and didn’t delay in phoning 000.
“Having this door shut allowed the damage to be contained while crews arrived.
“Shutting the door can minimize smoke damage as well,” Captain Lennon said.
“The occupant also had a working smoke alarm which did its job.”
In the wake of this incident, Captain Lennon encourages residents to check their heaters and surrounds, and to ensure their smoke alarms are working.
Fire and Rescue NSW recommends you keep everything at least one metre from the heater.
They also recommend you check your electric and gas heaters before you use them. If you suspect a fault, have the item checked by a qualified repairer or replaced. Check all cords for fraying and damage.
Plug heaters directly into wall sockets only. Do not overload powerboards.
Install any new heaters and use as per manufacturer’ instructions.
Check your portable outdoor heaters before use and have serviced or replaced if required.
Ensure that the area where you plan to use them is level, well ventilated and away from awnings and other combustible materials.
Fire and Rescue advises to never use any outdoor heating or cooking equipment inside your home including those that use heat beads or LPG as a fuel source. This type of equipment is not suitable for indoor use and can lead to a build up of lethal gases which could be deadly. Fire and Rescue also remind you to check the manufacturer’s recommendations before use
