Editorial: Take steps to prevent house fires

It is most concerning that, as reported in this paper yesterday, the number of house fires in Hawke's Bay has jumped in the past two years.

There were 149 residential fires in the Bay last year, which was a slight decrease from the previous year's 156, but an increase from an average of 123 from 2011 to 2013.

Fire Service national adviser Todd O'Donoghue said there was wide understanding of the fire safety and prevention message, but there were some people who did not prepare themselves for a fire event.

It is quite amazing how easily house fires can start and it is especially so in winter, when people rely on fire and heat to warm their houses and themselves.

Napier fire senior station officer Mark McGill offers three measures to reduce fire risk. They are the heater metre rule (drying clothes at least a metre away from the heat source), putting fire ashes and embers in steel containers, and making sure you concentrate and don't get distracted while cooking.

All three of those points are important to remember. They sound like simple things that we all should be doing anyway, but when one is in a rush or not concentrating, anything can happen.

It is amazing how long embers and ashes from a fire can smoulder.

The Fire Service says cooking is the leading cause of house fires in New Zealand and once again it is easy to see why. People get distracted and wander off talking on their mobile or to check on the kids. It does not take long for a pan of oil to get very hot.

There are other causes of house fires, including electrical faults, so the best advice is make sure you have working smoke alarms in your house. They save lives.