| NEWS | October 1, 2009 |
Fire Prevention Week is October 4 to 10 and this year’s theme is Stay Fire Smart – Don’t Get Burned. Designed to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities from fires, the theme will educate Ontarians about preventing burns and keeping homes safe from fires.
The top three leading causes of fires are cooking, heating and cooling appliances and electrical wiring. Ways to reduce these fires include:
- Watch what you heat. Stay in the kitchen when cooking – especially if using oil or high temperatures.
- Plug space heaters and other heavy appliances directly into an electrical outlet.
- Avoid running cords under rugs, which can damage the cord and cause a fire.
QUOTES
“Being fire smart means taking
every precaution to avoid fires and knowing how to respond
in the event they do happen. Fire Prevention Week gives us a
great opportunity to deliver the message and promote
community safety.”
— Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
“In some fires, occupants have
less than a minute to escape their homes. With a
limited time frame to escape, everyone needs to practise
fire safety in their homes such as having working smoke
alarms on every storey of their home and outside all
sleeping areas and having a home fire escape plan to ensure
everyone knows what do in a fire.”
—
LEARN MORE
An annual public education event, Fire Prevention Week enables fire departments across the province to organize a variety of educational fire safety activities within their communities. It also commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in which an estimated 300 people tragically perished and some 18,000 buildings were destroyed. For more information about activities in your area, contact your local fire department
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Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138
Bev Gilbert, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3178
