Holiday Season Fire Safety Tips
As the holiday season approaches, residents in Thorold are entering one of the most festive times of the year. The Live Safer team also knows that the holiday season can be a deadly time of the year.
A local company specializing in fire safety for residential properties, Live Safer is urging everyone to pay special attention when cooking during the holidays, and to drink responsibly. Provincial statistics reveal that careless cooking is the number one cause of fires and the second leading cause of fatal fires.
“The hustle and bustle of the holidays can dramatically increase your risk of having a fire,” said Live Safer’s George Cottage. “All too often, these fires are started by unattended cooking and in many cases alcohol is involved.”
Smoking is another leading cause of fires during the holiday season.
“Make sure smokers extinguish cigarettes in large deep ashtrays – not in plant pots which may contain peat moss or shredded bark that can easily ignite,” continued Cottage
“Ashes should be emptied in a metal container – not the garbage can – and put outside.”
In a community service campaign, (click to enlarge post card ) Live Safer is reminding everyone in Thorold about the law requiring working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. Cottage advises all residents to take a few minutes to test their smoke alarms and make sure everyone in the home knows exactly what to do if the smoke alarms sound in an emergency.
Develop and practice a home escape plan with everyone in the home.
Based in St. Catharines, Live Safer provides home service in Niagara for smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers. The company also provides fire safety inspections which cover important information for residents
With safety in mind, Live Safer wants local residents to enjoy a fire safe holiday season by following these tips*:
Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Cooking is a major cause of home fires, so don’t leave the kitchen if there’s something cooking on the stove. If a pot catches fire, don’t try to move it. Cover the pot with a lid to smother the flames and turn off the burner.
Keep things that can burn such as cooking utensils and paper towels a safe distance from the stove as they can easily ignite if they are too close.
Keep an eye on any drinkers in your household and make sure all cigarettes are properly extinguished and the stove is off before going to bed.
Cigarettes can smoulder among upholstered items for hours before igniting. Check sofas and chairs for cigarettes that may have fallen between the cushions. Provide large, deep ashtrays for smokers.
Drink responsibly. Excessive alcohol consumption is a contributing factor in many residential fires.
*Information provided by the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management.
For a fire safety inspection of your residential property in the Niagara, book an appointment with a Live Safer specialist.