Fire Prevention Primer

Overloaded electrical circuits. Smoke detectors with a dead battery. Inadequate ventilation around electronic equipment. Dinner left unattended on the stove or in the oven. These are all common causes of household fires. Prevention is your best bet when it comes to avoiding disaster. 

General Fire Prevention

• Install a smoke detector on every floor of your home, especially outside of bedrooms. Change the batteries in all smoke detectors twice a year, such as in the spring and fall when you change your clocks for Daylight Savings Time.
• Make sure all family members can hear the smoke detector alarm with doors are closed.
• If you heat your home with gas, oil, wood, or other fossil fuels, install a carbon monoxide detector. (Make sure the detector has a UL or ULC label.)
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher near all heating and cooking equipment, including your backyard barbeque.
• For upper stories, make sure an outdoor escape route is available that will lead family members safely to the ground.
• Ensure light fixtures are fitted with the right bulb wattage.

Your Home's Heating

• Have your furnace checked and your chimney cleaned every year.
• Keep the area around your furnace and water heater clear of boxes, papers and anything flammable (including paint).
• Make sure your fireplace is fitted with a metal screen and burn only wood.
• Keep portable heaters at least one metre away from drapes and bedding.

In the Kitchen

• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Keep your oven and stove clean.
• Keep clutter such as tea towels and potholders away from your stove.
• Make sure your cookware is CSA approved and never cook oil in an open pot - best to use a sealed deep fryer.
• In case of a grease fire, extinguish it with a lid - do not throw water on the flame.

Family Know-how

• Put a plan in place in case the unthinkable happens. All family members should be clear about the plan and know of all escape routes - especially from the bedrooms. Your escape plan should include a designated meeting place should family members need to escape separately.
• Have at least one practice family fire drill every year.
• Make sure all family members know how to contact the fire department in case of an emergency.

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