ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan praised the Canberra community and said that the latest statistics show that Canberrans are listening to safety messages and taking action within the home to reduce fire risks.

“This year we have seen a decrease in the number of fires ACT Fire and Rescue have responded to in relation to fires that started in the kitchen, which is surprising as people are spending more time at home,” she said.

However, as Canberra entered its final winter month, ACT Fire and Rescue acting chief officer Matthew Mavity urged Canberrans not to become complacent about fire safety and challenged the community to keep kitchen fires out of their homes with a target of zero kitchen fires this August.

“With a decrease in kitchen fires so far this winter we challenge Canberrans to make the month of August a new record of zero kitchen fires,” he said.