AS the warmer months approach, the area's firefighters remind people to take the necessary precautions to stay fire safe.
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A few simple precautions can go a long way to helping people protect their homes and family and Kiama Fire Brigade deputy captain Terry Dryburgh would rather people be safe than sorry.
"This time of year there's always a few key messages that we want to get out to people to promote fire safety and they're mainly pretty simple things," Mr Dryburgh said.
"Barbecue safety is a big thing and before you use one you should always give it a good once over, check for any cracks or degradation in hoses and make sure gas bottles are in good condition too.
"The other thing is to check that smoke alarms are actually working. It's estimated that only about 70 per cent of houses have smoke alarms fitted and only 40 per cent of those alarms actually work, so now's the perfect time to check if they're working and replace the batteries."
While the danger posed by bushfires is lower for urban areas, Mr Dryburgh said people shouldn't be complacent.
"If you're in suburbia, somewhere like Kiama, the danger is reduced, but as you move out further, to what's called the urban interface, the danger increases.
"But even so people should make their homes safe, make sure your gutters are clean and there's nothing like dead vegetation piled up against the structure.
"Embers from bushfires can travel kilometres and if they land in something next to a building that's when you're in trouble."
Mr Dryburgh said a deliberately lit fire two weeks ago in bushland behind Jones' Beach in Kiama Downs illustrated how dangerous a fire can be.
"We've had a string of deliberately lit fires in along the beach recently and they can easily get out of hand.
"The last fire we were called out to had started to get out of control, luckily it was on a night where there was no wind and it was in a location we could get the truck into, otherwise there are some nearby houses that could've been in trouble."
Police from Lake Illawarra Local Area Command said two 13 year-old boys had admitted to lighting the fire and investigations were ongoing.