Fire safety tips that could save your life

To date there have been 37 residential fires with 12 people injured, and 34 per cent of these fires have started in the kitchen as a result of cooking being left unattended.

Fire & Rescue NSW has some simple safety tips to help reduce the risk of fire in homes.

They include:

■ Looking while cooking - don't leave cooking unattended and if you must leave the kitchen turn off the hotplate.

■ It is important to have at least one working smoke alarm in the home. Smoke alarms should be installed in the living area and in the hallway near bedrooms - not in the kitchen.

■ Turn off heaters before bed; keep clothing and other materials one metre away from heaters; clean lint filters in clothes dryers and ensure power points are not overloaded.

■ Have a home fire escape plan. It ensures everyone in the household can identify two ways to get out of each room, usually a door and window; a safe exit to the street, usually through the front and back door; and it is known and practised.

■ Stop, drop and roll - if clothing catches on fire don't run around, stop, drop to the ground, and roll around on the ground to smother the fire.

■ Get down low and go, go, go - if there is smoke in a room, the smoke will rise and fill the room from the ceiling down, the fresh air is about one metre off the floor, so get down on all fours where you can see and breathe and crawl out of the room quickly.

■ Most importantly, if a fire occurs and you don't feel confident to put it out, leave the premises and phone the fire service on triple zero (000) from a safe place. Once out, stay out and don't go back for any reason.