Garage Fire - Horsely
Published: 30 Sep 2020 09:06am
Shortly after 9am, Fire and Rescue NSW were alerted to a garage fire on Melrose Way, Horsely, after a call to Triple Zero (000).
Dapto Fire Station arrived on scene to find large amounts of smoke issuing from an attached garage. All residents had evacuated the premises.
Firefighters got to work to extinguish the blaze from inside the house and were able to contain it to the garage.
Initial investigations suggest the blaze was ignited by a battery charger pack. Fire and Rescue NSW advise to always refer to manufacturers instructions for charging your batteries and never plug them into a power board.
Superintendent Adam Dewberry from Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said that “poor maintenance and incorrect usage of power boards can result in home and office fires endangering lives and causing considerable damage to property”
In fact, statistics show that over 350 residential house fires are started by electrical faults in NSW each year”
Problems with power boards can arise from:
- Overloading the power board
- Dust build-up in unused points
- Power leads becoming dislodged over time, particularly under a desk where they are knocked by feet
- Poor placement of power cables and extension chords leading to the power board.
- Inadequate ventilation of the power board preventing “normal” dissipation of heat generation.
- Limited or no understanding of the amount of power being drawn by different appliances.
- Heavy plug-in transformers that will "overbalance" and partially unplug, resulting in overheating from poor connections.
Updated: 12 Apr 2022 03:50pm
Related safety topics
It's important that we all understand the risks of lithium-ion batteries and be prepared if things go wrong.
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
If you do your bit to minimise the risks in your home, we can all stay safer together.
Having a home escape plan and a working smoke alarm increases your chances of getting out safely.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
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