![Fire and Rescue inspector Daryl Manson urges residents to ensure smoke alarms are installed and in working order. Picture by Madeline Begley Fire and Rescue inspector Daryl Manson urges residents to ensure smoke alarms are installed and in working order. Picture by Madeline Begley](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/172474527/1aa45de4-7fc5-4f5f-b841-03cba8fefe16.JPG/r0_263_5140_3164_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Firefighters are reminding people to put safety first just days after a caravan exploded at a popular riverside campsite near Wagga.
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A man suffered second-degree burns to much of his upper body after a caravan exploded while he was inside it at Sandy Beach campsite in Wantabadgery on Sunday night.
Fire and Rescue Wagga zone commander Daryl Manson warned people of the dangers of using LPG gas.
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Inspector Manson said unlike natural gas, LPG is heavier than air, creating a safety hazard.
"If there is a gas leak, it won't dissipate into the atmosphere. It will actually hang around and be an ignition source," he said.
It comes as Fire and Rescue launch their winter fire safety campaign and Mr Manson encouraged campers to check equipment before setting out on a road trip.
"One of the biggest issues we have with caravans and camping is that some of the equipment people take with them has been stored away for some time," he said.
"People take them out without checking if they are in good working order or whether there are any leaks or broken switches."
Despite last weekend's caravan fire, Inspector Manson said the region has been "pretty lucky" so far this winter.
"Over the last few years we've had a number of caravan fires that escalate very quickly and cause tragedy," he said.
But while fires can be gas or electrical in nature, he said the majority of them are caused by "human interaction."
"People put things in front of heaters, so we advise everyone to keep everything a metre from the heater."
Fire and Rescue have a number of other catch cries including 'Get out, stay out, call triple zero.'
But the biggest, Inspector Manson said, is "keep looking when cooking."
To remind people of the importance of this, Fire and Rescue give away bamboo spatulas featuring that message.
Inspector Manson said fires around the home and camping can also be caused by human actions such as overloading power boards and smoking in bed.
In a somewhat surprising fact, he said out of the 895 residential structure fires Fire and Rescue NSW responded to last winter, 45 per cent of them did not have a working smoke alarm fitted.
"That's crazy, because we offer to come out and do a fire safety visit. If they don't have a working smoke alarm, we will whack one up there with a 10-year battery free of charge," Inspector Manson said.
Meanwhile, Wagga Caravan Centre general manager Jack Hillis said there are strict safety checks in place for gas and electrical systems in caravans.
"All caravans have to be built to the Australian gas standard," Mr Hillis said.
"There should be a ticket or a plaque on every caravan with a gas compliance certificate issued by the manufacturer or the contractor who fitted the gas appliances."
Mr Hillis said any modification to gas appliances also need to be signed off by a licensed gas plumber.
"The vans also have to be signed off by a licensed electrician and that goes for any modifications as well," he said.
Wagga Caravan Centre also conducts its own gas and electrical checks on caravans to ensure customer safety.
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