Gardening

Close call brings a warning about this popular home decor piece

Feb 01, 2017

It is important to address fire safety around the home.

Suncatchers are a lovely addition to any garden.

However one Aussie gardener has warned others of the dangers of having a suncatcher close to hanging baskets.

On a Facebook post, the New South Wales woman said that during a hot day earlier this week her husband was at home and could smell wood burning but couldn’t see any smoke.

Later in the day he discovered a hanging basket that had just been moved close to the suncatcher was now only a wire frame, with the contents all burnt out.

They believe the fibre filling in the basket had caught on fire from the glitter ball in the suncatcher catching the light, similar to a magnifying glass effect.

In this case they were very lucky. They only lost a basket of plants.

If it had been a windy day there could have been the chance of not only a neighbouring basket catching fire aswell, or worse.

A hanging basket similar to these caught fire at a woman's home this week. It is believed a suncatcher was the cause. — A hanging basket similar to these caught fire at a woman’s home this week. It is believed a suncatcher was the cause.

Eric Schneider, station officer at the fire investigation unit in Brisbane said this sort of situation would be extremely rare but it was important to be fire safe around the home.

Things like smoking outside, and putting cigarette butts in a safe place were basic fire prevention methods.

He said there were many other suggestions; such as making sure range hoods were kept clean and there were several communication options when it came to emergencies, such as access to mobile phones.

Fires weren’t the only safety issue Mr Schneider said needed to be addressed around the home.

Trips and falls by those who live at home alone can also be a danger, especially if the victim was unable to raise the alarm.

“Organise regular visitors to make sure they are safe,” Mr Schneider suggested.

If you are in Queensland Mr Schneider said there was a safe home program run by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, and it was free.

The program is designed to assist all householders in recognising fire and safety hazards in and around the home and firefighters will actually come to your home to identify any hazards.

He suggested to find out what was available in other states, to simply call your local fire brigade.