Firefighters are urging the community to spring clean and reduce fire hazards in and around the home during the warmer months.
While winter is over, the changing weather brings a new range of fire risks.
Firefighters attended 1,005 residential fires across NSW in the spring of 2025.
In 45 per cent of those blazes, firefighters could not find a working smoke alarm.
Ahead of the summer months, spring is the ideal time to remove any debris and clutter that could catch fire or block exits in an emergency.
Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said there was no room for complacency when it came to protecting lives and homes.
“As temperatures rise, new fire hazards present themselves in the home,” he said.
“It’s time to make sure you and your family are as prepared as you can be.
“That means checking you have working smoke alarms, creating and practicing a home escape plan, and following simple home fire safety tips like maintaining barbecues and ‘keep looking when cooking’.
“We know that almost 38 per cent of fires last spring started in kitchens and cooking areas.”
If you need help with keeping your home safe, you can book a free fire safety visit by going online to https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/safetyvisits or by calling your local fire station.
“Firefighters will come to your home, provide tailored safety advice, check your smoke alarms and even install new ones for free,” Fewtrell said.
“We’re also reminding people to remain cautious with lithium-ion batteries in the home.
“A damaged lithium-ion battery can explode and release highly toxic fumes.
“Don’t charge devices with lithium-ion batteries when you’re sleeping or out of the home, don’t overcharge batteries, and make sure you only charge devices on hard surfaces that can’t catch fire.
“Finally, large batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters and power tools should not be charged in living spaces or exits.”
This post was produced by our newsroom.