By Callum Ludwig
Residents have received a reminder to check and clean their chimneys after CFA was called to a chimney fire at 1.46pm on Irvine Court at Yarra Glen on Sunday, 25 September.
The incident was brought under control at 2pm with had three trucks on the scene from the Yarra Glen and Coldstream brigades.
Advice for avoiding chimney and heating fires:
Have chimneys cleaned annually and gas heaters inspected and serviced every two years.
A secure guard or fireproof screen should always be used to prevent sparks and wood from falling out of the fireplace and causing a fire or burn injury.
Never dry clothes or have flammable items such as curtains close to a heater or open fire – make sure they are positioned at least one metre away and constantly monitored to reduce risk of a fire.
Children and pets must be supervised near all types of heating. Maintain a safe distance between children and heating.
Always extinguish any open flames, and turn off heaters before going to bed or leaving the house.
