If you haven't checked your smoke alarms - or don't have them installed - now is the time to do it.
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That's the message from Fire and Rescue NSW New England zone commander Tom Cooper as the colder months hit.
"It is law and there should be one on every level of your home. We even recommend having one in every bedroom," Superintendent Cooper said.
"If you don't have one, you're putting yourself at risk. A working smoke alarm will wake you up or if you are awake, it will alert you to a fire quicker."
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Just last week, tragedy almost struck when a chimney caught fire at a house in Gunnedah.
The Gunnedah Fire And Rescue team attended the scene and extinguished the fire.
The crew then found that the house didn't have a smoke alarm installed.
"Had this fire occurred with occupants asleep, the outcome could have been tragic. We installed a smoke detector before leaving. Smoke detectors save lives," FRNSW Gunnedah said in a Facebook post.
Superintendent Cooper added: "For about $30, you can get a good quality one [smoke alarm] and once it's installed should check it once a month by pressing the test button on it."
On the whole, Superintendent Cooper said things had been "pretty quiet" since winter started but there had still been a handful of call-outs.
"There's been a number of fires caused by fireplaces - people not clearing them out and not getting their chimney checked," he said.
He also said with the cold weather settling in, fires were likely to spike - particularly if rain comes.
"Electrical fires are up and motor vehicle accidents are up when it rains. We just seem to be very busy if it rains," he said.
Superintendent Cooper said anyone looking to install smoke alarms could contact their local fire station for help or head to www.fire.nsw.gov.au for smoke alarm and fire safety information.
