.jpg "Belinda Peterson in her damaged Keysborough home")
Belinda Peterson in her damaged Keysborough home
One lucky Keysborough resident has CFA and RACV's Smoke Alarm Installation Program and working smoke alarms to thank for their swift escape from a burning kitchen last month.
Belinda Peterson was just one of more than 1000 at-risk people across rural and regional Victoria to receive free smoke alarms and assistance from CFA and RACV since April.
Now having lived first-hand through the wrath of an unnerving house fire, Belinda could not be more grateful for the timely maintenance visit that allowed her smoke alarms to alert her out of danger.
The fortunate getaway has inspired her to spur on any Victorians requiring assistance to seek out their local fire brigade or to ask questions if they are unsure about the condition of their smoke alarms.
"I am incredibly lucky I had my new smoke alarms. The fact that I am above 60, single and unable to reach the heights of those ceilings meant I needed help," Belinda said.
"It was a case of calling my local fire brigade and having them come round and install them for myself and my neighbour.
"Although the units didn't need to be changed, they did replace the back up batteries that were well and truly out of date and cleaned them all thoroughly before performing tests to ensure they were working before they left."
Reality hit just four months later when Belinda routinely retrieved her Lite n' Easy polystyrene box from the front door and placed it on her bench.
"The box was full of meals and dry ice and as I have limited space in the apartment, I put the box on the stovetop bench where I would usually prep food," Belinda said.
"When I picked up the box, I had noticed the plants in the front of my courtyard were very dry, so once I took it inside, I went back outside to water them.
"My neighbour came over and were chatting for only about two minutes before the smoke and alarms came billowing.
"The stove wasn't on when I initially placed down the box, but from that movement it made contact with the ignition button and as a result sparked a flame and ultimately the fire."
As her fire blanket was under the stove, quick thinking saw Belinda grab doonas off the bed to suppress the fire, however when unsuccessful she made a safe exit outside to call triple zero.
"You need to have a very clear idea of what your escape areas are in your house or unit, because really, I only had the front door and the glass doors at the back. I have no side windows at all," Belinda said.
"When my kids were younger and we were in a bigger house, we discussed our escape routes, and I encourage everyone to have a fire blanket stored somewhere logical and easily accessible."
While fire services were able to extinguish the remaining fire and ventilate the house, damage was contained to the microwave, kitchen cabinets, stovetop and plaster throughout the kitchen. Belinda is still unable to return home.
CFA recommends all smoke alarms in the home be powered by a 10-year lithium battery, be interconnected and installed in every bedroom, living area and hallway on your property.
All smoke alarms, even hard-wired ones, have a lifespan of around 10 years and should be replaced after that. Residents should also test smoke alarms monthly and clean or dust them yearly.
