Tips to stay fire safe this Christmas

Christmas tree lights, overworked powerboards, charging e-bikes and cooking left unattended are all fire hazards this festive season.
Whilst people tend to let their hair down and relax over Christmas, Emerald managing director Stuart Edgley warned of remaining vigilant with home fire safety.
"Many people associate winter as the key season for residential fires, but fires in the home can occur at any time throughout the year," Mr Edgley said. "In summer, there are plenty of hazards to be aware of, particularly when it comes to Christmas trees, decorative lights, candles, excited kids and pets, and overworked powerboards."
Mr Edgley, representing Emerald which makes smoke alarms and fire safe technology, said it was important to use caution when charging lithium-ion-powered devices, which are often popular Christmas gifts and include e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards.
He said firefighters are concerned the number of residential fires triggered by these batteries will increase considerably over coming years, as these devices become more popular. Overcharging and overheating can occur, especially in summer, making these batteries extremely dangerous.
As a result, fire services urge people to do their research before purchasing, using and storing these items.
With electrical appliances and faults causing almost 40 per cent of house fires, Christmas time hazards include decorative lights which may become very hot and are often placed near flammable materials such as wrapping paper, decorations or curtains.
"Lights really need to be checked for faults and turned off before going to bed," Mr Edgley continued. "Candles should also be extinguished whenever you leave the room. It is equally important to ensure they are placed in a safe position and away from pets and children."
"Powerboards are also a concern as they can be easily overloaded with new gadgets and appliances," he added.
"Not only can the hot and dry summer weather provide ideal conditions for fires to start, but people can also be away from their homes on holidays or leaving pets at home alone more frequently due to busier than usual social schedules. So it's important to be prepared - be aware of fire dangers in the home and make sure you're protected if something goes wrong," he continued.
Expert tips:
Install a smoke alarms system and test monthly.
Have 24/7 visibility of your smoke alarm system via a Wi-Fi gateway.
Only use decorative lights that have an Australian Standards label and follow manufacturer's instructions on setting up and operating. Keep children and pets away from lights, candles and matches.
Never leave cooking unattended and to make sure you have a fire blanket or extinguisher that meets Australian Standards.
Don't overload powerboards, piggyback double adaptors or overcharge lithium-ion-powered devices.