These are all fire safety messages that have become commonplace in recent years.

They are invaluable messages that should never be overlooked, but despite this fact they are too often brushed to one side as something we will consider later.

But such complacency could mean the difference between life and death.

Right now is the time to be fire wise, regardless of whether you live in a bushland area or in suburbia.

In October 2013 alone bushfires destroyed 200 homes and resulted in two deaths as six blazes burned across eastern NSW.

And the threat of bush fires in NSW does not look like diminishing as we head in to the 2014/15 summer season.

All fire permits have been suspended in the Wingecarribee Shire from December 1 until further notice due to a forecast for hot, dry and windy conditions.

However, the threat of bush fire is not the only type of blaze that should concern people.

According to Australia's leading smoke alarm specialist Smoke Alarms Australia one in two NSW households has a non-working smoke alarm, and nearly one in three households have no working smoke alarm at all.

Smoke Alarms Australia general manager Troy Thompson has warned that these statistics were particularly worrying during the festive season considering Christmas lights were the major household fire danger in summer.

With these facts in mind it would seem that there is no time like the present for all households to get fire wise. If you live near bushland then now is the time to make a bush fire plan and work to protect your property against a possible blaze.

Meanwhile, every household should check that they have working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan in place which can easily be understood by all the family.

For more details on fire safety visit ww.rfs.nsw.gov.au or www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=81