NSW firefighters warn of alarming rise in preventable house fires

A south Sydney family who lost their home in a devastating electrical fire are pleading for others to switch off devices not in use.

House fires are on the rise at a time when families in NSW are spending more time at home than ever before.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has reported a 10 per cent increase in the number of preventable house fires during the cooler months, with electrical appliances and faults, including heaters and overloaded power boards, causing nearly 40 per cent of them.

This year, firefighters have already attended more than 2225 residential house fires, of which eleven have sadly been fatal. They fear the numbers may rise with more people working from home.

“This is why it is so important for people to be aware that increased use of electrical appliances in the home may lead to more fires,” said FRNSW Assistant Commissioner Community Safety Trent Curtin.

The Toikka family home was ravaged by fire last year. The family were able to escape safely after their fire alarm went off.

The Toikka family home before the 2020 fire.

“A home fire can take hold in just three minutes and fill a home with deadly smoke, which you cannot smell when you are asleep.”

The Toikka family woke to a screeching smoke alarm in the early hours of August 26 last year.

A power board had burst into flames in the living room and the fire was engulfing their Engadine home in southern Sydney.

Brett and heavily pregnant wife Kara grabbed their two-year-old son Liam and rushed to safety as the devastation unfolded.

The Toikka family are relieved to have escaped with their lives and now want to drive home the message to switch off and unplug all devices not in use and check smoke alarm batteries.

Brett and Kara Toikka and their kids Liam and Owen. The Toikkas were lucky to escape a house fire last year. Picture: David Swift

Firefighters believe the blaze started from a power board, which has puzzled the Toikka family who are sure they had switched it off.

“We could see where the fire had started when we woke in the night … which was a surprise because we were almost certain that all the switches on the power board were turned off,” Mrs Toikka said.

“It was quite a shock … to find that something like that could still be dangerous.

“We were so careful with any kind of electricity that we plugged in, making sure that they’re no problems with our cords … having something like this happen makes you think about the dangers of electricity and what could happen.”

The smoke alarm, which was replaced just two weeks prior to the incident, was what saved the Toikka family that night.

“If that didn’t go off, then we might not be talking today,” Mr Toikka said.

“Even when you’re going to bed at night, make sure switches are turned off.”

FRNSW Assistant Commissioner Community Safety Trent Curtin said the increased risk of a house fire being caused by avoidable circumstances is alarming and especially frightening now that more people are working from home during lockdown.

“As residents spend more time at home than ever before, firefighters are concerned that the number of these preventable home fires may rise,” Mr Curtin said.

“Power boards don’t need to have double adapters ­coming out everywhere – they could have one item in each socket and still be overloaded.”