Preventing household fires was our first Community Education session for 2026 and it was a ‘hot’ success!
Have you ever put oil in a frypan and turned on the gas only to be distracted by a phone call from one of your kids? You recognise that ring tone and speed off to answer it so that you don’t miss that precious call – meanwhile that innocent bit of oil is secretly looking for trouble!
While you catch up with your caller the frypan takes on a life of its own – sizzling, smoking and getting dangerously close to igniting – which it will – if it’s left to heat.
By the time you’ve realised it, that frypan is a searing crackle of fire and a serious risk to you, your family and home.
The ‘Safer Communities: Home Fire Safety’ education session highlighted smart safety habits while living in the community. Guest speaker Peter, from the Queensland Fire Department, delivered his engaging presentation with some basic but sensible advice.
“A little care goes a long way to keeping you, your loved ones and home safe” and “never leave a flame attached,” said Peter.
Nevertheless fires can start spontaneously and Peter certainly convinced participants that working smoke alarms, fire blankets and extinguishers were life savers.
LITHIUM–ION BATTERIES
The rise of lithium–ion battery fires was another focus of the presentation. Nowadays, lithium–ion
batteries are causing some of the most intense blazes our community has ever witnessed. Because they store large amounts of energy in less space than traditional batteries, this increases their risk of overheating and exploding.
Often, they don’t respond to traditional methods of dousing because they are self–sustaining and generate their own oxygen making them burn at extremely high temperatures of about 1000°C.
Worse still, even after being extinguished, they can reignite – hours and sometime days after.
These tiny innocuous lithium–ion batteries power many everyday rechargeable devices, including mobile phones, laptops, vapes, power tools, e–scooters, e–bikes and electric vehicles. If not used, charged, stored
or disposed of correctly, these batteries can present a serious fire risk.
Put simply, Peter emphasised purchasing quality (not imitation) products, following instructions for their use and only using the charger provided by the manufacturer – key strategies towards preventing overheating and potential infernos.
Most importantly, in the event of a fire or smoke, always call Triple Zero (000) immediately and leave the premises.
Interested in attending our next Community Education Session?
To find more events like this, visit community events for our upcoming events or contact us on 07 3624 6100 for more details.