Home Fire Safety
Cooking Safely
- Keep your cooking space clean and free of anything that can burn;
- Don't store anything on the back of your stove;
- Reaching over hot burners and pots can cause burns;
- Roll up your sleeves or wear a short sleeved shirt;
- Keep pot lids close to the stove while you cook;
- If there is a small fire you can slide lid onto the pot or pan and turn off burners to put it out.
- In the summer of 2019, the Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service has received a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada for $8,972.20 to go towards a Fire Hazard Kitchen Simulator. The Kitchen Simulator is a tool that Fire Prevention Inspectors use to promote kitchen safety during public education initiatives throughout the municipality.
Heating your Home Safely
- Keep anything that can burn at least one metre away from furnaces, baseboard heaters, woodstoves and fireplaces;
- Make sure you have working carbon monoxide alarms outside sleeping areas in your home;
- Get regular maintenance on your heating equipment from a qualified professional;
- Turn off portable heaters every time you leave the room and when you go to bed;
- Put ashes into a metal bucked far from combustible materials to cool down;
- It can take three days for ashes to cool completely;
- Maintain chimneys to make sure there are no blockages.
Home Escape Planning
- Draw a floor plan of your home
- Mark all windows and doors
- Plan two ways out of every room, the primary escape should be the door and the secondary could be an alternate door or a window
- Make sure all windows and doors can be opened easily
- In a two-storey building, plan your escape through a window onto a roof or porch
- If you must use an escape ladder, be sure everyone knows how to use it. Children should practice with an adult
- Choose a meeting place for family members outside and mark it on the floor plan, a good meeting place would be a tree, a telephone pole or a neighbours house
- Make sure everyone understands the planned escape routes
- Practice your escape plan at least twice a year with everybody in your home
- Remember to practice with visitors and guests too
Using Candles Safely
- Always stay in the room when candles are burning, put out the flame every time you leave the room or go to bed;
- In a power outage use battery powered lanterns or battery powered candles to reduce the risk of fire;
- Keep candles away from anything that can burn such as furniture or curtains;
- Keep candles away from pets;
- Keep candles in sturdy candle holders that won't tip or burn.
Questions?
Contact Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service
Telephone: 705-324-5731
Email: fireprevention@kawarthalakes.ca
