Firefighters were called out to 67 preventable house fires in Brimbank last year.
Cooking pots and pans left unattended on stove-tops or in ovens caused 23 of the fires.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade western district community safety commander Guy McCrorie, who is based in Sunshine, said untended cooking was one of the biggest causes of preventable fires.
“That’s one of the only places in the home with an open flame,” he said. “It’s when they move away from the area that problems occur.”
He urged people to be particularly attentive when cooking with oil.
Firefighters often attended blazes started by cooking appliances that were being used outside kitchens, such as in bedrooms or living rooms.
Of the 67 preventable house fires in Brimbank last year, 22 were caused by electrical appliances and 12 by heaters.
Mr McCrorie said gas and wood fires needed to be cleaned yearly and gas heaters serviced every two years.
He urged Brimbank residents to be mindful of how much electricity they are consuming at the one time.
“Don’t leave chargers and dryers on all the time; some overheat or malfunction,” he said.
He recommended having a working smoke alarm and an emergency exit strategy.
