Home and Fire Safety

Kitchen Fire Prevention

More fires begin in the kitchen than any other room in the home. In fact, residential cooking is one of the leading causes of fire-related deaths. The majority of kitchen fires begin with cooking equipment. Number one on the list of fire sources are stoves, including microwave ovens.

Be constantly alert to cooking habits

• Keep pot handles turned toward the back of the stove, a small child can pull on a handle extending out at the front of the stove and be burned or scaled by the pots contents
• Avoid loose clothing while cooking: loose clothing can brush heating elements and easily catch fire.
• Never leave food cooking unattended on the stove.
• Never store frequently used items above the stove where you may be burned reaching over the hot stove to get them.
• Remove pans of cooking fat or oils from the stove when not in use - it's easy to accidentally turn on the wrong burner.
• Do not microwave metal or items with metallic embellishments

Be aware of your clothes

Be mindful of what you're wearing while cooking. Loose sleeves over hot stove burners can catch fire. Wear clothing with snug cuffs or roll up the sleeves. If you store things above your stove top, your clothing could catch fire when you lean over stove burners to reach up.

Kids and pets should stay clear

There is an imaginary kid-free zone one metre around your kitchen stove. Enforce it strictly. Also keep pets from running around underfoot. They might cause you to trip when you're holding or near to something very hot.

Help prevent kitchen fires

• Keep stove and oven clean because built-up grease and food particles are easily ignited. Keep combustibles (i.e. curtains, dish towels, plastic or wood utensils, newspapers, grocery bags) away from the stove, oven and all appliances.
• Unplug kettles, frying pans and other appliances when not in use
• To be safe, it is recommended that a fire extinguisher (of the correct type) is placed nearby any cooking facilities.

Grease and cooking oil

If using cooking oil, heat it slowly and never leave the pot or pan unattended. Keep a large lid close at hand that would fully cover any cooking vessels on the stove. If the oil or grease should catch fire, the lid can be put over the flames to smother them. Never try to put out an oil or grease fire with water. It will splatter, possibly spreading the fire.

Ovens

If a fire starts in your oven or microwave oven, keep the door closed to prevent air from feeding the flames. Turn the appliance off or pull the plug. If the flames don't die out quickly, call 9-1-1.

Be Alert

Don't cook if you're under the influence of alcohol or if you are drowsy from medication or fatigue.

Candle fire safety

The use of candles in the home has greatly increased over the past few years. Hand in hand with that is the increase in the number of fires caused by their misuse. Unsafe use of candles is an invitation to disaster.

Tips for the safe use of candles

• Keep lit candles away from combustible material such as furniture, wall coverings, trees or plants, and other decorative item.
• Never leave burning candles unattended for any length of time. Extinguish the candle before you leave the room.
• Candles should only be burned in non-combustible containers such as glass, metal, or ceramic. The flame should not extend above the opening of the container.
• Candle holders should be sturdy to prevent accidental toppling and should catch wax drippings.
• A good rule of thumb to follow is to keep candles at least a meter from anything that can burn.
• Use extra caution when lighting and using candles in the presence of small children and pets. Also keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Avoid putting candles anywhere near windows. Curtains might be blown into a candle flame and a breeze can fan the flames if a fire should occur.
• The use of candles in bedrooms is highly discouraged. Almost half of all candle fires start in the bedroom.
• If you must use candles in your bedroom, make sure they are not close to flammable articles such as bedding, curtains, blinds, piles of clothing, magazines and books or upholstered furniture.
• If candles are used in rooms where the potential for sleeping occurs, it is highly recommended that an additional smoke alarm be installed in that room as well as in the hall immediately outside of the room.
• Never burn candles that have been manufactured with decorative items such as cinnamon sticks or plastic items imbedded in the wax. These items may cause the candle to flare up and spread the fire.
• Choose good quality candles with features such as non-dripping wax

If the power goes out

Many people keep candles on hand for power outages. Flashlights and battery powered lamps are a better idea. Never carry lit candles. It's too easy to drop them.

Lower the Risk

Candle fires generally don't happen when people use them to accompany a meal. That's because they are generally attended during mealtime. Candle fires do happen in places like bedrooms and bathrooms where people use them as mood enhancers. Unfortunately, people can fall asleep with a candle still burning or leave the room without snuffing out the flame. Candles should never be left burning unattended.

Home for the holidays

December and early January is the most likely time for candle fires to start. That's because people associate candles with the holiday season. Fires can start when candles are placed too close to presents, decorations and Christmas trees.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers do not replace the need to call the Fire Department. Always call 9-1-1 first when a fire occurs, no matter how small.

Fire extinguishers are not designed for use on large or spreading fires. Portable fire extinguishers have limited applications against small fires. When used properly, an extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until firefighters arrive.

Even on small fires, they are effective only under the following conditions:

• The extinguisher must be rated for the type of fire being extinguished.
• The extinguisher must be large enough for the fire at hand.
• The extinguisher must be in good working order, fully charged and within easy reach.
• The operator must be trained in the proper use of the extinguisher.
• The operator must be physically capable of lifting, handling and operating the extinguisher.

What type of extinguisher should I buy?

There are three basic classes of fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers must be labelled to show the class of fire they can extinguish.

• Class A: Ordinary combustibles such as paper, wood, rubbish, drapes and upholstery.
• Class B: Flammable liquids such as gasoline, oils, solvents, paints and flammable gases.
• Class C: Electrical fires involving Class "A" or Class "B" materials and live electrical power - overheated wiring, fuse boxes, stoves, motors etc.

Be certain that you use the correct type of extinguisher for the fire you are fighting. If you use the wrong type of extinguisher, you can endanger yourself and even make the fire worse.

The extinguisher must be tested and listed by The Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada (ULC). Look for the ULC label on the extinguisher. Extinguishers in the kitchen should be at least rated for class B and C.

Smoke Detectors

How many should you have?

• Every home should have a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.
• On floors without bedrooms, alarms should be installed in or near living areas, such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms.
• Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke alarms' alarms. If any residents are hearing-impaired or sleep with bedroom door closed, install additional alarms inside sleeping areas as well.
• There are special smoke alarms for the hearing impaired; these flash a light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.
• For extra protection, fire departments suggest installing alarms in dining rooms, furnace rooms, utility rooms and hallways.
• Smoke alarms are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms or garages - where cooking fumes, steam or exhaust fumes could set off false alarms - or for attics and other unheated spaces where humidity and temperature changes might affect an alarm's operation.

Taking care of your smoke alarm

• Only a functioning smoke alarm can protect you.
• Never disable an alarm by borrowing its battery for another use.
• Following the manufacturer's instructions, test all your smoke alarms monthly and install new batteries at least once a year. A good reminder is when you change your clocks in the spring or fall: change your clock, change your battery.
• Clean your smoke alarms using a vacuum cleaner without removing the alarm's cover.
• Never paint a smoke alarm.
• Smoke alarms do not last forever. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.

Plan and practice

• Make sure everyone is familiar with the sound of the alarm.
• Plan escape routes. Know at least two ways out of each room. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where all residents will gather after they escape. Practice your escape plan at least twice a year.
• Remove obstructions from doors and windows needed for escape.
• Make sure everyone in the household can unlock doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars should be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
• When an alarm sounds, leave immediately. Go directly to your outside meeting place and call 9-1-1.
• Once you're out, stay out. Never return to a burning building.

False alarms

• Cooking vapours and steam sometimes set off a smoke alarm. To correct this, try moving the alarm away from the kitchen or bathroom or install an exhaust fan.
• Cleaning your alarm regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions, may also help. If "nuisance alarms" persist, do not disable the alarm replace it.

Choosing an alarm

• Be sure the smoke alarms you buy carry the label of an independent testing laboratory such as ULC or CSA.
• Several types of alarms are available. Some run on batteries, others on household electric current. Some detect smoke using an "ionization" sensor, others use a "photoelectric" detection system.
• All approved smoke alarms, regardless of the type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.

Installation

• Most battery-powered smoke alarms and alarms that plug into wall outlets can be installed using only a drill and a screwdriver by following the manufacturer's instructions.
• Plug-in alarms must have restraining devices so they cannot be unplugged by accident. Alarms can also be hard-wired into a building's electrical system.
• Hard-wired alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician.
• Never connect a smoke alarm to a circuit that can be turned off by a wall switch.

Where to install smoke alarms

• Because smoke rises, mount alarms high on a wall or on the ceiling.
• Wall-mounted units should be mounted so the top of the alarm is 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) from the ceiling.
• A ceiling-mounted alarm should be attached at least 4 inches (10 cm) from the nearest wall. In a room with a pitched ceiling, mount the alarm at or near the ceiling's highest point.
• In stairways with no doors at the top or bottom, position smoke alarms anywhere in the path of smoke moving up the stairs. But always position smoke alarms at the bottom of closed stairways, such a those leading to the basement, because dead air trapped near the door at the top of a stairway could prevent smoke from reaching an alarm located at the top.
• Do not install a smoke alarm too near a window, door, or forced-air register where drafts could interfere with the alarm's operation.

Carbon Monoxide

Many Ontario households have, on average, 4-6 fuel-burning appliances that produce carbon monoxide (CO) gas. These appliances include:

• Furnaces
• Water heaters
• Fireplaces
• Dryers
• Barbecues
• Stoves
• Portable fuel-fired heaters and generators

What is carbon monoxide?

• Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and toxic gas, and is often referred to as the 'silent killer".
• When inhaled it inhibits the blood's capacity to transport oxygen throughout the body. It can poison the body quickly in high concentrations, or slowly over long periods of time.

What are symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• burning eyes
• confusion
• drowsiness
• loss of consciousness

In severe cases, CO poisoning can cause brain damage and death. The elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to CO.

Carbon monoxide detectors

• Proper placement of a CO detector is important. In general, the human body is most vulnerable to the effects of CO during sleeping hours, so a detector should be located in or as near as possible to the sleeping area of the home.
• If only one detector is being installed, it should be located near the sleeping area, where it can wake you if you are asleep. Where sleeping areas are located in separate parts of the home, a detector should be provided for each area.
• Additional CO detectors should be placed on each level of a residence and in other rooms where combustion devices are located (such as in a room that contains a solid fuel-fired appliance, gas clothes dryer or natural gas furnace), or adjacent to potential sources of CO (such as in a teenager's room or granny suite located adjacent to an attached garage).
• Unlike smoke, which rises to the ceiling, CO mixes with air. Recognizing this, a CO detector should be located at knee-height (which is about the same as prone sleeping height).
• Due to the possibility of tampering or damage by pets, children, vacuum cleaners and the like, it may be located up to chest height.
• To work properly, a detector should not be blocked by furniture, draperies or other obstructions to normal air flow. If a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector is used, it should be located on the ceiling, to ensure that it will detect smoke effectively.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing, care, maintenance of your carbon monoxide alarm. Keep the instruction booklet in a safe place so you can refer to it when needed.

If you suspect carbon monoxide in your home

• If you or anyone else in your home is experiencing the symptoms of CO poisoning, ensure that everyone leaves the home immediately, leaving the door open.
• Call 911 from a neighbours' telephone or cellphone from outside of the house.
• If your CO detector sounds do NOT assume it to be a false alarm.
• Open all doors and windows to ventilate the home. If you cannot find the problem and the alarm continues, contact the fire department.
• If there is a strong smell of natural gas in your home, evacuate immediately, leaving the door open, and contact your local gas utility.
• If no symptoms are experienced, reset the detector and check to see if the alarm activates.
• If the detector sounds a second time, call the local fire department for their assistance. If the detector does not sound a second time, check for common conditions that may have caused a CO build-up or contact a qualified heating contractor to check your fuel-burning equipment.

Escape Plan

Did you know that 7 out of 10 fires in Canada occur at home? Protect your family and home from fire with smoke alarms and by planning your escape.

Plan to escape

• Draw a floor plan of your home showing all possible exits from each room.
• Plan a main escape route and an alternate escape route from each room, especially bedrooms.
• When fire strikes, a planned step-by-step escape route can reduce panic and confusion. Most of all, it can save lives.

Download a grid to make your plan today.

Choose a meeting place

• Arrange an outside meeting place and a safe location to call 911.
• The best place to meet is in front of your home where firefighters will arrive.

Practice your plan

• Conduct a fire drill at least once every six months.
• The best place to start your fire drill is from a bedroom.
• Sound the alarm and get everyone in the home to participate.
• In a real fire, you must be prepared to move quickly and carefully without confusion. Don't rush through the drill. Make sure everyone knows exactly what to do.
• After the drill, discuss what took place and how to improve performance. Make your fire drill as realistic as possible.
• Practice two escape routes. Vary your drills. For example, one drill might place a fire in an attic while another might place it in a kitchen.
• Make sure everyone understands how escape routes are altered depending on different fire locations.
• Pretend that there are no lights, and that your escape routes are filling with smoke.

Be prepared

• Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
• If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning.
• If you live in a two storey house, and you must escape from a second storey window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.
• Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.
• If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors with towels or blankets to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a light coloured cloth or a flashlight. If there is a phone in the room, call 911 and tell the operator exactly where you are.

Get out fast

• Make sure your family knows to leave immediately when they hear a smoke alarm or someone yelling, "Fire!"
• Don't try to take possessions or pets.

Don't go back no matter what

• After you are out, call 911.
• Once outside and at the designated meeting place, no one re-enters the burning house. Firefighters are equipped and trained to handle rescue operations and they will let you know when it is safe to go back into the house.
• Get out and stay out

Weather Emergencies

Storms can cause severe thunderstorms, lightning, flash floods or tornados.

Weather alerts

• Warning, issued when severe weather is either imminent or occurring. Severe thunderstorm warnings, by their nature, will be issued less than one hour in advance. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings may be issued specifically for smaller warning or "sub-regions" within the regular forecast area where available.
• Watch, issued when conditions are favourable for the development of severe weather. Watches are typically issued for local-scale events in which the timing and location of occurrence remains uncertain; such as severe thunderstorms or tornadoes. A watch is normally issued several hours in advance. A watch issued for severe summer storms is typically issued up to six hours in advance.
• Special weather statement or advisory, is issued in a freestyle format for weather events that are unusual, cause general inconvenience or public concern and cannot adequately be described in a public weather forecast. A Special Weather Statement may also be issued to indicate any potentially hazardous situation in the long term forecast.

Power failures

A power interruption is often caused by freezing rain, sleet storms and/or high winds which damage power lines and equipment. An interruption can last from a few hours to several days. While all efforts will be made to restore power as quickly as possible, severe weather conditions can greatly delay the process.

• Make sure your personal emergency preparedness kit is complete and well stocked
• Prepare a portable preparedness kit in case of evacuation
• Turn off/unplug electrical appliances to avoid a fire when the power is restored
• Keep a radio or light on so that you will know when power has been restored
• Make sure you are extra careful if you are using candle, flash lights are a better choice.
• Make sure your home has a working carbon monoxide detector. If it is hard-wired to the house's electrical supply, ensure it has a battery-powered back-up.
• Keep appliance vents clear of snow and ice. Drifting snow may block appliance intake and exhaust vents. If a vent is obstructed, the appliance may malfunction or create a build-up of carbon monoxide.

Use of home generators

• Home generators are handy for backup electricity in case of an outage, but must only be used in accordance with the manufacturer's guidelines.
• A back-up generator may only be connected to your home's electrical system through an approved transfer panel and switch that has been installed by a qualified electrician.
• Never plug a generator into a wall outlet as serious injury can result when the current produced by the home generator is fed back into the electrical lines, and transformed to a higher voltage.
• This can endanger the lives of utility employees working to restore the power.

Workplace Safety

Make It Your Business To Know

Fire can break out anywhere, including where you work. Each year numerous fires in the workplace cause injury and property loss.

• If a fire started in your office or in the building where you work, would you know what to do?
• Do you know your workplace evacuation procedures in the event of an alarm? What is workplace's escape plan?
• What can you do to prevent fires in your workplace?

Knowing the answers to these questions and following a few simple fire safety procedures can prevent tragic and wasteful fire loss in your workplace.

Be Prepared

• These procedures are based on your workplace having a fire alarm system and an approved fire safety plan. Your building may not have an alarm system or a detailed fire safety plan. Your workplace fire evacuation procedures may differ.
• Make it your business to know the fire safety plan and evacuation procedures in your workplace.

Employees Should Know

• the location of two exits closest to their work area;
• the location of the nearest fire alarm pull station and how to use it;
• the phone number for the Fire Department is 9-1-1
• your responsibilities in a fire, which are in the fire safety plan;
• the fire emergency procedures posted on your floor.

Employers Are Responsible For

• preparing and implementing the Fire Safety Plan;
• informing employees of the Fire Safety Plan;
• posting fire emergency procedures on each floor;
• conducting regular fire drills with all employees.

If You Discover A Fire

• Activate the nearest fire alarm pull station on the fire floor.
• Leave the area immediately, closing all doors behind you.
• Take keys with you.
• Go to the nearest exit and leave the building. Close all doors behind you.
• If you encounter smoke, consider taking an alternate stairwell/exit. Heat and smoke rise leaving cleaner air near the floor. Crawl low under smoke.
• Call 911 regardless of the size of the fire. Never assume this has been done.
• Give correct address, location of fire and your name.

Fire Extinguishers

• Make sure everyone is out or leaving the building and the fire department is on the way, before you consider using an extinguisher.
• Fire extinguishers are only good for fighting small fires.
• Ensure that you are using the right type of extinguisher for the fire you are trying to put out.
• Ask your employer to provide fire extinguisher training.

Fire Prevention Tips For A Safer Workplace

• Smoke only in the designated areas allowed.
• Use large, non-tip ashtrays. Do not empty contents into wastebaskets.
• Check for smouldering cigarettes on furniture and in wastebaskets.
• Check and replace any electrical cords that have cracked insulation or broken connectors.

Babysitters Guide

Entrusting your children to the care of a babysitter is a major responsibility. You should know your babysitter well. Try to employ the same babysitter on a regular basis. Only trust people who have a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for children. Your babysitter's first priority should be your children's safety.

Contact information for babysitters

It's important to provide your babysitter with emergency contact information. Your information should include:

• Police, Fire and Ambulance Contact, 911
• Family Name
• Address
• Telephone Number
• Parents phone numbers and address where they can reached at
• Time parents are due back
• Neighbours name, address and phone number

Children's special needs such as allergies, medical conditions or medication.

Before the Babysitter Arrives

• Make sure your children and all family members are familiar with your home escape plan including escape routes and your designated outside meeting place.
• Post your home escape plan where everyone will see it.
• Test all smoke alarms to verify that they are working. Smoke alarms provide precious early warning that can make the difference to survive a fire.
• Speak to responsible neighbours so that, in an emergency, the babysitter may contact them.
• Post emergency numbers by the phone, 911 and your home address. Include your neighbour's name and telephone number and also the number where the babysitter can reach you.

When the Babysitter Arrives

• Tour your home with the babysitter, reviewing your home escape plan. Discuss the floor plan, pointing out marked exits.
• Show the babysitter the designated outside meeting place. Point out your neighbour's neighbours' homes.
• Clearly explain to the babysitter that if there is smoke or fire, your only concern is that everyone gets out of the home quickly and safely. If a smoke alarm sounds, no one should try to locate the fire and no one should try to put it out.
• Point out emergency telephone numbers to the babysitter and provide them with an emergency information sheet.
• Babysitters should keep this information sheet with them at all times when they are babysitting your children because they will need it if they have to quickly run to a neighbour's.
• Provide a flashlight for the babysitter in the event of a power failure and show them where you store an emergency kit.
• Provide the babysitter with additional relevant information about the children's routines and special needs such as allergies, medical conditions and medications.

Emergency information for babysitters

• Keep the safety of the children in mind. Get them to safety.
• No matter how small a fire is, if you see or smell smoke, or detect an odour of gas (smells like rotten eggs), immediately get the children outside and call 9-1-1.
• Don't waste time dressing the children, even in cold weather.
• Wrap them in blankets instead.
• Don't turn on light switches as this may create a spark, ignite gas vapours and cause an explosion.
• Never re-enter a burning building. Smoke and toxic gases from a fire can be fatal.

Children and fire

Many young children show natural curiosity about fire. It's important to help them understand fire and what it can do.

Teach your child about fire

• Fire is a tool we use to heat our homes or cook our food
• Fire is not a toy
• If matches or lighters are found give them to an adult
• Even adults must follow special safety rules for fire
• Fun pages can help educate your child in an interactive way

Control your child's access to fire

• Keep matches and lighters out of reach of children
• Never allow the unsafe use of lighters or matches in your home
• Never leave cooking or candles unattended
• Teach children to bring found matches and lighters to you or another grown-up

Set a good example

• Install and maintain smoke alarms
• Plan and practice your home fire escape plan
• Regularly inspect your home for fire hazards
• Teach children to Stop, Drop & Roll, should their clothing catch on fire

Fun pages

Sparky colouring pages

Fire safety house

• The fire safety house is a mini house on wheels consisting of a bedroom, kitchen and living room.
• It is used throughout the entire County of Oxford for fire education.
• The fire safety house is transportable to any location in Oxford County

Fire safety house features

• Simulated smoke can be put into all areas of the fire safety house
• The fire safety house is wheelchair accessible on 1st floor
• There are at least two safe escape routes out of each floor level
• There is a heated door to simulate fire on the other side of the door
• Smoke alarms are located in all four areas of the fire safety house
• Red strobe lights simulate fire
• Hearing impaired devices are connected to smoke alarms
• Exhaust fans assist in removing the simulated smoke
• The fire safety house has lighting inside and outside
• There is a television and VCR mounted on the outside of the the house

Education topics

• Making sure smoke alarms are working
• Knowing two escape routes for their home
• Crawling low in smoke
• Feeling a door for heat before opening the door
• Designating a meeting place outside their home
• Calling 9-1-1
• Actions to be taken when the smoke alarm sounds
• Never going back inside once outside

For more information or to have the fire safety house at an even contact the Fire department.