Spate of fatal house fires in Queensland prompts authorities to push winter safety warning
By Gemma FergusonQueensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is warning people to be vigilant over the coming winter months, after five house fires in less than a week — three of them fatal.
Four people lost their lives in the blazes across the south-east, including a 99-year-old woman in Robina on Monday, a man and a woman who died when their house was "engulfed in flames" on Sunday, and a man who was killed in a unit blaze in Albion last week.
QFES Fire Safety Executive Manager Mark Halverson said cooler temperatures often led to a spike in houses fires, with crews called to more than 450 blazes last winter.
How should people prepare?
"Prevention is definitely the best defence against the [chance] of a fire occurring in [the home]," Mr Halverson said.
"People need to be fully aware that what may appear to be a small, insignificant fire has the potential to develop into an uncontrolled, life-threatening fire in just a couple of minutes."
He advised Queenslanders to check heating appliances and electric blankets to ensure the equipment hasn't been damaged — including broken or frayed wires — when it was packed away in storage during warmer weather.
Chris Graham, an area manager with Energex, agreed that heating devices "pushed to the back of cupboards or in garages" were easily forgotten about.
"They can suffer damage [if] accidentally hit or crushed — even vermin, such as mice, can chew through vital components," he said.
"[Look] for any obvious signs of damage before plugging [in], such as frayed cords or cracked or broken housing."
Beware of flammable surroundings
Mr Graham said if there are no faults, then it's important to consider where you place any heating appliance.
"One of the biggest safety risks when setting up a heater is placing it too close to flammable items such as couches, curtains or beds – I've even seen the devastating aftermath of people draping clothes over a heater to try and dry them quicker," he said.
"Be aware pets or children can easily knock over an unattended portable heater, so if you leave the room it's good practice to switch it off."
Check your fire alarms
Mr Halverson said early warnings were essential for the best chance of survival, telling ABC Radio Brisbane that interconnected smoke alarms "absolutely save lives".
He said new smoke alarm legislation was being rolled out in three phases until 2027, and encouraged all households to upgrade their units "as quickly as possible".
"In conjunction with that, a well-developed and practiced evacuation plan is also really paramount," he said.
He said families should put together a plan and run fire drills — first in daylight, then at night — to make sure there's no blocked exits and any keys for deadlocks were easily accessible.
Don't leave chargers plugged in
Mr Halverson said QFES has attended a number of fires sparked by lithium-ion battery-powered toys and devices, which can increase fire risk when charged incorrectly or using a damaged cord.
Like Energex's advice on switching off unattended heaters, he said to switch chargers off where possible.
"Just because a charger actually physically fits into the charging port, that does not necessarily mean that it's the correct charger," Mr Halverson said.
"If it's the incorrect charger, it's highly dangerous."
Where possible, outdoor charging is encouraged.
If that's not practical Mr Halverson said oversight was important, encouraging Queenslanders to unplug chargers before going to bed or leaving the house.