Just in time for spooky season, we offer the scary thought of a house fire.
As Fire Prevention Week winds down, ending on October 12, and given that this year’s theme is Smoke Alarms: Make them work for you, it’s a perfect time to remind everyone to check if your smoke alarms are in good working order. If you’re planning on doing a lot of cooking this Thanksgiving weekend, it’s even more important that you have a working smoke alarm in your home.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half (54 per cent). Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
On average, fires take the lives of 220 people in Canada every year, according to Statistics Canada. Each year in Winnipeg, the Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responds to more than 100 fires that start in the kitchen. Keeping your smoke alarms operating optimally can help save you from a fire, which can cause serious injury or death and significant damage to your home.
This year’s campaign is reminding everyone to install, test and replace smoke alarms and make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory needs or physical disabilities.
Best practices for smoke alarms in the home include:
• Install smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on each level of the home;
• Test smoke alarms once a month by pressing the test button;
• Replace smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or stop responding when tested;
• Make a home fire escape plan and practice your plan so you know what to do in case of fire.
As part of the ongoing commitment to enhance fire safety, the Manitoba Government has established a new fund of up to $1 million to support fire prevention and public education initiatives for Northern Affairs Communities, off-reserve Indigenous families and northern remote communities across Manitoba. Further information about this funding program will be announced in the coming months.
Fire Prevention Week is held during the week surrounding Oct. 6 in Canada as well as the United States to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, to ensure that a tragedy of that magnitude never happens again. So make sure that your home has multiple working smoke alarms.
To learn more about Fire Prevention Week activities across the province visit www.manitoba.ca/firepreventionweek. You can also visit the National Fire Prevention Association at nfpa.org