COUNTRY Fire Authority crews have urged people to check their smoke detectors are working after a fire in California Gully.
Crews were called to the kitchen fire in Wood Street about lunchtime on Thursday.
Bendigo senior station officer Mark Nevill said firefighters believed the fire started in the kitchen rangehood's fan motor.
He said it took crews minutes to get under control.
"It appears the fan motor has caught fire, so there is a little bit of damage in the kitchen," Mr Nevill said.
"I can't say for sure, but it appears there may have been a fault in the fan motor."
Mr Nevill said the authority's main concern was both smoke detectors in the home did not work.
One was broken, while the other had a flat battery.
Mr Nevill said firefighters advised the tenants to change the batteries and get the broken smoke detector replaced.
"We've hammered the message home (about smoke detectors)," he said. "It's a rental property but they have to replace the batteries themselves. They will have to get onto the landlord to make sure the (Broken) smoke detector is replaced."
He said outside of this, the tenants did everything correctly when they realised there was a fire.
"It took five minutes to control, (the residents) did all the right things. They isolated the power, got out of the house and called Triple-0," he said.
Three Country Fire Authority trucks attended. The fire is now safe.
Last week, the CFA called for residents to install interconnected smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallways and living areas.
The recommendation came after data was released that show most residential fire fatalities and injuries are from fires that start in sleeping areas.
"It is incredibly concerning seeing that research that says only 16 per cent of people have smoke alarms in their bedrooms," CFA chief officers and chief executive Steve Warrington said.
"It's really important that you have a smoke alarm in your bedroom, especially if you sleep with the door closed.
"Your sense of smell decreases while you sleep and a working smoke alarm in the bedroom can mean the difference between life and death."
Mr Warrington said most people knew smoke alarms should be check each month but not all we aware of where they should be located.
"We know that smoke alarms can save lives and property - but only if they are working correctly," he said.
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