House Fires

In New Zealand there are around 120 house fires every week. As would be expected most fires start in the kitchen. The lounge is the second and the bedroom is the third most common area where fires start. In a typical year 12 people will die in a house fire in New Zealand. 

Most fires occur because of unattended frying or cooking but there are many other causes too. Electrical fires are quite common and can occur particularly in older properties (1940’s or earlier) where the electrical wire can short circuit due to the failure of the rubber sheathing used at that time.

Even in newer homes accidental cuts in the electrical wiring can have the same effect and cause a fire. The building code for more modern houses (1960’s onwards) provides for the use of various building materials that are required to have a level of fire resistance to help slow down the spread of a house fire.

Storing “rubbish” or even spare containers of vehicle fuel especially in a garage attached to the house just adds to the problem should a fire start. Badly wired domestic appliances or damaged electrical sockets can easily cause a fire. 

Clothes dryers are a significant cause of fires as the “fluff” from the clothes builds up in the vent pipe and can ignite if it becomes too hot. Christmas tree fires are not uncommon since tree lights can easily become damaged and cause a fire. 

If it is a real Christmas tree these are ready fuel for a fire. There are some simple precautions to help keep you and your family safe from a house fire:

1. Don’t build up a store of combustible material - waiting too long for the recycle collection and keep any spare petrol / fuel outside.
2. Keep clothes drier vents free of fluff.
3. Always have smoke alarms in working order - see www.fire.org.nz smoke detectors are available for as little as $5.50 each or $18.50 with a 10-year battery.
4. Because they are cheap a small fire extinguisher best kept close / in the kitchen is worthwhile investing in, 1.0kg dry powder are as little as $19.95 each.
5. Have a regular home inspection which will include all aspects of the home including electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation and all other parts of the building. Call 0800863636 for an inspector near you.



There must be many, many people who wished they had spent $25 - $45 on these items as insurance against their house burning down.