Sydney smoke haze: What to do if your smoke alarms go off
PEOPLE in Sydney are experiencing days of thick smoke haze blanketing across their city, due to hazard-reduction burn-offs and unseasonably warm weather with only light winds with stable conditions.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has warned that this smoke haze may continue to linger for the next few days.
Smoke alarms are rather sensitive pieces of equipment, and can activate even with a seemingly small amount of smoke in the air.
Local fires and hazard-reduction burn-offs can cause enough smoke to set detectors off, especially if they have not been cleaned and maintained – the combination of dust and smoke in the air may together be enough to reach the point where they calculate that an alarm is necessary.
Take the opportunity to clean your smoke detectors by following our advice, especially vacuuming and dislodging any potential internal dust.
The New South Wales Office of Environment has classified Sydney’s air quality ‘poor’ and warns people with health issues to stay indoors, especially those with respiratory conditions.