Fire Safety Ontario

03/30/2022

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-fire-1.6401433
I don't think we can emphasize this enough. Check your smoke alarms. Go check! Right now! On every storey and outside of all sleeping areas! Renovations or not.
This is heartbreaking, we hear these stories way too often about children and families dying more and more because of this. Especially if you live in a newer home, your risk of not getting out of there is higher due to the amount of plastic inside. It takes one alarm to wake you up on time to get out of there before it gets too hot and smoke fills everything. DO NOT neglect this and put it off, ensure your safety. The victims went to sleep that night expecting to wake up as any other day.
🖤🖤🖤

A GoFundMe page has so far raised over $7,000 for funeral costs of the five killed. But even after the tragedy, fire prevention officers found several homes nearby where there were no working alarms, said Brampton Fire Chief Bill Boyes.

01/23/2022

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Teaching-tools/Lesson-plans
Don't know how to educate your household, students or workplace about fire safety? The National Fire Protection Association provides lesson plans for adults and adolescents.

Fire and Life Safety Educators are invited to speak at a variety of venues. Careful planning can make the difference between an excellent visit and a mediocre one. See NFPA's mini 10-minute lessons.

01/23/2022

https://www.cp24.com/news/three-children-dead-after-fire-at-brampton-townhome-1.5747683 We have heard about this tragedy all over the news for the past several days. Sadly three children perished in a house fire in Brampton, Ontario. The children were home alone at the time of the fire. Due to the unknown circumstance as of this time, we cannot speculate.

“this is not a case where police are investigating it as a neglect type incident.” - that is very important to remember, our thoughts are with the family who suffered unimaginable pain

While we wait for the investiagion to conclude, let's take some precautionary measures. Ensure you have working smoke alarms (test them) and explain fire safety to our children, when and how to call for help, and practice safe evacuation. This is also a reminder to get to know your neighbours a little, a community that watches our for each other is a safer community for all our loved ones.

Officials are calling a fire that claimed the lives of three boys in Brampton Thursday a “tragic circumstance,” but say they do not believe it was a case of neglect.

01/13/2022

https://www.cp24.com/world/christmas-tree-behind-fire-that-killed-12-in-philadelphia-officials-confirm-1.5736637
FIRE SAFETY AND CHILDREN
Another US story that made our news. A 5 year old child played with a lighter near a christmas tree and set the home on fire, killing 12 relatives. This seems like a story from a horror movie, something we wouldn't want our kids even watching, let alone live through.
Before this incident, another fire that killed 13 people was started by a 3 year old playing with stove burners.
Please ensure that anything that can start a fire is not within the reach of children, childproof your home and educate your little ones on fire safety.
Another important reminder, those smoke alarms serve a purpose, please maintain them in a working condition and do not remove them. The two-story unit (in the first story) had only one working alarm in the basement that activated late and all others were either not working or were removed.
Accidents happen but we need to take all the precautions necessary. A working alarm could have saved this family.

A Christmas tree fire caused the blaze that killed 12 relatives in a Philadelphia rowhome duplex, investigators confirmed Tuesday as they identified victims and announced preliminary findings, but stopped short of officially saying a 5-year-old boy playing with a lighter was behind it.

01/13/2022

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-york-city-apartment-fire-bronx-1.6309064
This New York tragedy from 3 days ago is a big wake up call to residential building owners and property managers to ensure the safety of all occupants. This includes a working sprinkler system and fire alarms/detectors where required. Proper fire safety education of residents and staff is essential to prevent these type of accidents. That is, a regular fire alarm drill where everyone is accounted for as well as clearly communicated instructions on emergency and preventive measures.
This past Sunday, 60 people were hurt, 13 in critical condition and 19 killed, including 9 children. A faulty electric space heater has been deemed the cause of the fire.
Some lessons to remember: place your heaters away from any combustible materials and don't leave them on without supervision, keep doors closed if you start seeing smoke/fire/spark to not let more oxygen feed the fire and don't ever ignore a fire alarm or malfunctioning electrical equipment.
Know that these things can happen to anyone and it's everyone's responsibility to ensure theirs and their family's safety.

Nineteen people, including nine children, have been killed in an apartment fire in New York City's Bronx borough, officials say.

12/18/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr6b9b8FYKk&ab_channel=NationalFireProtectionAssociation
Why being careful during the holidays is so important. Water your tree!
Also, you should always check if your smoke alarm is functional and ensure you can get out of the house quickly in these situations, aka don't block exit doors at any time. A small spark can cause devastation.

A live Christmas tree burn shows just how quickly a dried-out Christmas tree burns, with flashover occurring in less than one minute, as compared to a well-w...

12/10/2021

Part 3

Almost all of fires started by lit smoking materials (i.e. ci******es) occur in residential homes. They are the number 4 ignition source in structure loss fires but are the top ingition source in fatal fires. More than that, quarter of those fatal victims is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire. If you are a smoker, please remember to always safely put it out in a deep ashtray and away from any combustible/flammable materials (ensure it is put out). Keep all smoking materials, including matches, ci******es and lighters high up and out of reach of children, preferably locked. When discarding butts and ashes, douse them in water or sand to ensure they are completely out (many times the butts are still hot enough to ignite a combustible material nearby).
Also, as more and more people need medical oxygen, NEVER smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen makes ignite easier, burn faster and hotter.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

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Sources:
https://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/FireMarshal/MediaRelationsandResources/FireStatistics/OntarioFires/FireLossesCausesTrendsIssues/stats_causes.html - government statistics

https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/SmokingSafety.ashx - smoking safety brochure

12/09/2021

Part 3

Almost all of fires started by lit smoking materials (i.e. ci******es) occur in residential homes. They are the number 4 ignition source in structure loss fires but are the top ingition source in fatal fires. More than that, quarter of those fatal victims is not the smoker whose cigarette started the fire. If you are a smoker, please remember to always safely put it out in a deep ashtray and away from any combustible/flammable materials (ensure it is put out). Keep all smoking materials, including matches, ci******es and lighters high up and out of reach of children, preferably locked. When discarding butts and ashes, douse them in water or sand to ensure they are completely out (many times the butts are still hot enough to ignite a combustible material nearby).
Also, as more and more people need medical oxygen, NEVER smoke where medical oxygen is used. Medical oxygen makes ignite easier, burn faster and hotter.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

_________________
Sources:
https://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/FireMarshal/MediaRelationsandResources/FireStatistics/OntarioFires/FireLossesCausesTrendsIssues/stats_causes.html - government statistics

https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/SmokingSafety.ashx - smoking safety brochure

12/09/2021

Part 2

Majority of the electrical fires involving structure loss, injuries and deaths occur in homes. This reminds us to be careful when planning out our christmas decor inside and outside our homes. Remember to turn the lights off when you're sleeping or not home; switch off timers are of great help here. Also, remember to keep fire (i.e. candles) away from any electrical wiring and try not to run extension cords under carpets, in doorways or near heat vents. Keep in mind that heat can also start a fire, we don't always need a spark or a flame.

Significant amount of home fires are also caused by heating and electrical equipment. This means that we have to be vigilant when using radiators and any heaters. Don't leave them when you're sleeping or not home, and ensure they are plugged into a socket instead of an extension cord.

part 3 to continue
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Sources:
https://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/FireMarshal/MediaRelationsandResources/FireStatistics/OntarioFires/FireLossesCausesTrendsIssues/stats_causes.html - government statistics

https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/Electrical_Safety_Tips.ashx - electrical safety brochure

12/09/2021

As we enter the holiday season and start our preparations, safety of our homes and loved ones should be our priority. Sadly that is not always the case.

As per government stats, the following are the top determined causes of fires. Most of these types of fires occured in homes.

Cooking fires are the primary ignition source and usually involve leaving the stove top or oven unattended.
As home cooking is becoming more popular and more people choose to experiment in the kitchen, let's do our best to:
- not leave food unattended,
- not cook while under any influence or while sleepy
- set up timers and keep children and any combustible materials away (1m/3ft) from the stove/oven.
Remember! Do not try to fight the fire if you're in doubt or don't know how to fight it, get out, close the door behind you and call 911. If you decide to fight a cooking fire, turn off the stove/oven/appliance and cover it back up/close the oven door. Do not touch it until it has completely cooled.

Part 2 to continue
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Sources:
https://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/FireMarshal/MediaRelationsandResources/FireStatistics/OntarioFires/FireLossesCausesTrendsIssues/stats_causes.html - government statistics

https://www.nfpa.org/~/media/files/public-education/resources/safety-tip-sheets/cookingsafety.pdf - cooking safety brochure