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TORONTO, ON, Tuesday, November 9, 2004 --
The Office of the Fire Marshal has confirmed that a woman and seven children
perished in a house fire in the town of West Lincoln, in the Niagara Region,
on the night of November 8, 2004.
While this fire is still under investigation and the cause is not yet known,
Ontario Fire Marshal Bernard Moyle would like to remind everyone about the
importance of working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms should be installed on
every level of the home and outside all sleeping areas. It is no surprise
that 50% of all fire fatalities occur in homes where there is no smoke alarm
or the battery has been removed.
“Every time you remove a battery from a smoke alarm without replacing it,
you put your family at risk. Don’t do it,” said the Fire Marshal.
But having working smoke alarms is not enough. When the alarm sounds,
everyone must know what to do to safely escape.
“People don’t realize how quickly fire can completely destroy a home,” said
Moyle. “You can have as little as one minute to get everyone safely outside.
Developing and practicing a home escape plan with your family can help to
ensure that everyone knows what to do and where to go if a fire occurs.”
“We are entering the deadliest time of the year for fire deaths,” said
Moyle. “At least 90% of all home fires are preventable. Please do everything
you can to keep your home and your family safe from fire.”
From November 1, 2003 to January 31, 2004, 41 people died in fires in
Ontario. Most fire deaths occur when the fire department response time is
five minutes or less.
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For fire statistics and further information contact:
Chris Slosser, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3120
Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal 416-325-3178.
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