Firefighters have responded to a number of fires - largely confined to bedrooms, laundries and kitchens - across the district in recent weeks.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer for District 15, Eddie Lacko, said a significant amount of residential fires were caused by electrical appliances.

During the last five years - from January 1, 2016 until December 31, 2020 - the Country Fire Authority has responded to 576 fires caused by electrical appliances. That is over 100 each year.

Some simple steps can be taken to reduce the risk of a fire starting in your home.

With people once again working from home, alongside their children, there will be many electronics being plugged into powerpoints.

ACFO Lacko warned against overloading power boards or 'piggybacking' adapters.

"It puts excessive loads on your power and is the potential cause for fires. We see that quite regularly," he said.

Also ensure appliances do not have frayed or damaged wiring - including electric blankets - and that electrical cords are not covered by a rug or mat.

"If a cord is frayed and something heavy is put on top they actually compress and can overheat. Then, of course, the rug catches fire and then the room catches fire."

He also warned against leaving electronic equipment such as laptops or phones on beds while charging.

"There's been a spate of these fires right across the country, where people leave them sitting on their beds and then they get covered by a blanket, overheat and cause the bedroom to catch fire."

As the temperature plummets, heaters are also being switched on more frequently.

If using a wood heater, the chimney should be checked before lighting it for the first time - birds or even a possum could be taking shelter there. Chimneys should be cleaned regularly and no treated pine or material burned.

A fire guard can be placed around an open fire to prevent embers spitting into the room and flammables should be kept well away.

Gas heaters should be checked by a qualified gas fitter every two years to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, while portable heaters should be switched on away from flammable items such as bedding, curtains and drying clothes.

With the frosty weather meaning washing may not be able to be hung out to air dry, many may opt to use their clothes dryer instead.

Filters should be checked before each use and lint removed.

ACFO Lacko also warned about candles.

"If you're going to burn candles they need a very robust and heavy base to sit on so they don't topple over and keep them away from curtains."

Of all the precautions, having a working smoke alarm installed in the right area of the home is arguably the most important.

"Change your smoke alarm batteries every six months," ACFO Lacko said.

Related coverage: Are your fire alarms installed in the right area of the home?

CFA data reveals that of the 17,000 residential fires attended by the CFA in the past decade, more than 400 resulted in death or serious injury.

Of these fires almost half started in sleeping or living areas - 25 per cent started in bedrooms, 23 per cent in lounge areas and 15 per cent in kitchens.

As such, firefighters recommend smoke alarms be installed in bedrooms and living areas and that they be interconnected.

This means that even if a fire starts at a far end of the house, everyone will be woken by a smoke alarm and will have a greater chance of escaping alive.

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