The Bancroft Fire Department is reminding residents that fire safety needs to be top of mind in the wake of recently released data showing fire fatalities are up 65-percent this year.
The data is reported by Ontario’s Fire Marshall and compiled since the new year and compared to the same time in 2019.
“I urge you to be vigilant in preventing fires in your home, especially now with so many people at home practicing physical distancing because of COVID-19,” Deputy Fire Chief Matt Musclow said. “It’s just as important that you test your smoke alarms and practice your home fire escape plan.”
Musclow says that residents need to do everything they can to prevent fires from happening in their homes. He says the best way to do that is by always staying in your kitchen when you’re cooking. “Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires,” he added. He also said to encourage smokers to do so outside, blow out candles before leaving a room, avoid overloading electrical outlets, ensure items that are burning are at least one metre away from space heaters and do not attempt to sterilize or decontaminate face masks for re-use by heating them in the microwave.
Musclow said people should also check to make sure their alarms are working properly. He added that they need to be tested monthly.
When practicing your home escape plan, Musclow said that everyone needs to know two ways out of the building while all exits must be unobstructed. “Determine who will be responsible for helping young children, older adults and anyone who needs assistance to escape,” he said. Musclow added that a meeting place needs to be decided as well and to call the fire department from that spot. “Once out, stay out,” Musclow stated. “Never re-enter a burning building.”
“Only you can make sure these types of tragedies do not happen in our area,” Musclow said.