Natalia’s re-heated pizza left her with a $1,600 bill for a ‘false alarm’. Here’s how not to get burnt

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Key Points

Natalia Álvarez’s overcooked pizza led to a fire crew being called out to a ‘false alarm’.
Her X post about the incident ‘went viral’, attracting almost six million views.
While at first ‘mortified’, she successfully used crowdfunding to pay her account.

The culprit was a slice of pizza that the Spanish student had overcooked in the microwave, causing smoke to trigger the building’s automatic fire alarm.

Álvarez arrived in Australia in July 2024 as part of a student exchange program at the University of Sydney.

She had misunderstood the re-heating instructions on the side of the pizza box which were for a conventional oven, rather than a microwave.

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The smouldering slice of pizza which led to the call-out of a fire crew and the evacuation of Natalia Álvarez’s building. Credit: Natalia Álvarez

“When I opened the microwave, all the smoke came out at once. The evacuation alarm went off immediately and there was no window to open,” she told SBS Spanish, adding that she set the cooking time to eight minutes.

“When I ran downstairs to tell the administration that it was nothing serious, they told me that the fire (officers) were already on their way and that there was nothing more I could do.”

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Natalia Álvarez said she cried for two days after receiving a bill for $1,600 for a ‘false alarm’ call-out of a Fire and Rescue NSW crew to her apartment complex. Credit: Natalia Álvarez

Residents of the 12-storey complex were evacuated to the street until the fire department reached the scene, deeming it a “false alarm”.

Alvarez was “mortified” by witnessing residents evacuating in various states of undress with some wrapped in towels while others were still holding their cooking utensils.

‘I spent the whole night crying’

Álvarez is financing her studies in Australia by working odd jobs, and said she felt despair when she received a $1,600 call-out fee.

“That Sunday, I spent the whole night crying and Monday as well. I’m 22 years old, I’m in a new country and I have no way to come up with the money,” she said.

By Wednesday, she said she’d resolved to try and “laugh about it” and posted about her ordeal in two videos on X, which were viewed more than six million times respectively.

Álvarez said while her posts garnered comments criticising her “lack of judgement”, others were sympathetic and suggested crowdfunding to pay her bill.

“People were putting in five euros at a time but there were people who put in more and. in the end, the amount was reached. People have been very supportive and I am very grateful,” she said.

Despite the incident, Álvarez said she was enjoying life in Sydney, but admitted she had “given up cooking” as it was an activity she was “not particularly good at”.

Open vents and windows while cooking

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Media Manager Tanya Abraham told SBS Spanish that the department was authorised to charge for crew attendance to false alarm calls to monitored automatic fire alarm (AFA) systems.

“This charge is intended to motivate building owners and managers to be continually pro-active in managing their AFA systems and to ensure they’re properly maintained,” she said.

“It has been demonstrated that properly maintained systems assist in reducing the number of false alarms.”

Fire and Rescue NSW does not support charges being passed on to individual occupants in the case of shared residences, although exceptions may apply, she explained.

Abraham said kitchen incidents were among the most common causes of false fire alarms in NSW.

“(Other) common causes include poor ventilation, burnt toast, cooking fumes, steam, aerosol sprays, cigarettes, candles, tradespeople and cleaners, dust, dirty smoke detectors, damage to ‘break glass alarms’ or ‘manual call points’, system malfunction, poorly maintained systems, insufficient maintenance frequency in harsh environments, and insect infestation,” she said.

“It should also be noted that lithium-ion batteries are the fastest-growing fire risk in NSW.”

To avoid false alarms, she advised people to ensure windows and vents were open and fans were switched on before cooking or showering as some smoke detectors were sensitive, and steam from showers, smoke from burning food, and even sprays from aerosol cans such as deodorant and hairspray can set them off.

“Also, be aware of where all alarm detectors are in your home and ensure all reasonable measures are taken to avoid false alarm activation,” Abraham said.

However, if a fire-related incident is imminent and cannot be avoided, she advised to immediately evacuate the area and call triple zero (000).

‘False alarm’ fees Australia-wide

Victoria: $638 for each fire truck for each 15 minutes
New South Wales: $1,600
South Australia: $471 (Adelaide) and $645 (country areas)
Western Australia: $1,337
Queensland: $1,300
Tasmania: $390
Australian Capital Territory: $294 (residential premises) and $1,467 (non-residential/commercial premises)
Northern Territory: $1,118