Australia’s leading provider of smoke alarm compliance and maintenance services is urging NSW residents to be bushfire safe as we move from summer into the drier conditions of autumn.
Startling figures compiled by the Australian Productivity Commission estimates there will be at least 50,000 bushfires in 2019.
Additional research commissioned by NASA, in collaboration the CSIRO, predicts the most seriously affected areas will be tropical and subtropical areas in Queensland and Northern NSW.
In NSW, the official bushfire season was brought forward by two months following an extremely dry winter, with no substantial rain falling in many parts of the State.
You don't have to live in bushfire-prone areas to be affected
Smoke Alarm Solutions CEO, Cameron Davis, says you don’t have to live in rural parts of NSW to be threatened by bushfire.
“NSW residents should be familiar with the official bushfire warnings levels and have a bushfire survival plan in place,” says Davis. “Your property – whether in or out of a bushfire zone – is vulnerable to smoke, embers and burning material.
“Residents and landlords should clear rubbish from around their properties and ensure gutters are free of leaves and debris. Mowed lawns and well-maintained gardens also minimise the threat of fires.
Davis says operational smoke alarms should also be installed in every home, but that recent research suggests up to 25 per cent [1] of NSW properties do not have working smoke alarms.
“Working smoke alarms should be in every home,” he says. “I’m stunned tens of thousands of NSW residents would rather gamble with their safety and the lives of family and friends.”
Property managers should advise landlords of obligations
REINSW Helpline recommends that property managers advise their landlords to register for a smoke alarm maintenance service to ensure smoke alarms are serviced regularly and year-round – not just during the hotter months.
Helpline also suggests asking landlords to ensure all doors and windows open and shut properly to provide adequate access for anyone to vacate a property promptly if a fire should occur.
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[1] Fire & Safety NSW