A message from your Fire Department...
It’s alarming how many fires occur, resulting in property damage, injury and even death, that could have been prevented had only smoke alarms been properly installed with working batteries. Too often, fire services personnel report fires where no alarms were observed, or alarms were present but batteries were found to
be dead or the power source has been disconnected.
Did you know?
- In 1996, it was estimated that 95% of Canadian homes had smoke alarms.
- In residential fires in Ontario, 21% of homes had no smoke alarm. 23% had an alarm that didn’t operate.
- Of those with an alarm that didn’t operate, 35% had a power failure or weren’t connected.
- Of those where the power failed or they weren’t connected, 80% had no battery. 20% had a dead battery.
- 29% of smoke alarms worked in preventable, fatal, residential fires in Ontario between 1995 and 2002. Of those alarms that didn’t work in these settings, 57% had no battery or power.
- Working smoke alarms double your chance of survival.
Smoke alarms detect smoke very early and can give the precious seconds needed to escape from homes or buildings, before the fire and smoke spread.
Smoke alarms need to be installed in every level of the home and in or near each sleeping area. Replace smoke alarm batteries annually or whenever the unit “chirps” to warn of low battery power.
Help participate in Fire Prevention Week by sharing this important information with your family, friends and neighbours. Make sure everyone you know has a working smoke alarm in his or her home and that everyone knows what to do when the alarm sounds.
Find out what’s happening in your area by contacting your local fire department.
When the power goes out, you may be introducing potential hazards to your home as you attempt to provide light and heat. Take a few minutes to review this fire safety checklist and make sure that you and your family are safe from fire and carbon monoxide.
Shown above: Fire Prevention Activities
In Case of Fire
- Follow your family's home escape plan (everyone should know two ways out of the house and have a prearranged meeting place outside).
- Get everyone out of the house immediately and call the fire department from a neighbour's home.
- Do not re-enter the house for any reason until the fire officer gives the all clean.
Wood Stove Installations
The Fire Department is certified to inspect the installation of Wood Stoves in Residential and some Commercial buildings.
A Building Permit is required to install a Wood Stove, and the fire inspections are included in the cost of the permit, however, for an existing wood stove inspection there is a fee of $50.00 plus GST.
It is incumbent upon the Home Owner to ensure that the Wood Stove is installed to the required standard, and the Fire Department will ensure that it meets this standard.
If you have any questions or concerns over the installation of your Wood Stove, please contact the City’s Fire Prevention Services @ 613-392-2841 and ask for:
Paul Lafferty, Senior Fire Prevention Officer: or
Tim Olohan, Fire Prevention Officer
Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
- Install battery-operated smoke alarms outside sleeping areas, and preferably on every level of the home.
- Test smoke alarms to ensure they are in good working order.
- Install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near sleeping areas.
A Fire Code amendment now requires all Ontario homes to have working smoke alarms on every level and outside all sleeping areas. It covers single family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented. For further information [click here].
Heating and Cooking
- Propane or charcoal barbecues must never be used inside the home or garage.
- Generators must never be brought inside the home for any reason.
- Portable space heaters should be used only with the fuel for which they were designed.
- Keep all heaters at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from combustibles, including furniture, drapes and clothing.
- If your fireplace or wood stove has not been used for a long time, the chimney should be checked by a professional technician to avoid blockages such as birds nests, and other animals using the chimney as their home.
- Keep a window open to provide necessary ventilation.
- Before going to bed, do a check of every room to make sure candles are out and heaters are off.
- Spend some time each day outside in fresh air.
Candles
- Secure candles in solid noncombustible containers and protect them with a glass chimney.
- Never leave burning candles unattended
- Extinguish all candles before going to sleep or leaving the room
- Do not permit children to keep or use candles or incense in their rooms
- Candles should only be used when a sober adult is present and awake
- Never use lighted candles on or near a decorated tree or other evergreens
- Keep candles at least one metre away from anything that can burn, including curtains, other decorations and wrapping paper.
- Always use stable, nonflammable candle holders
- Place candles where they will not be knocked down or blown over and out of reach of pets and young children.
- Always keep burning candles up high, out of the reach of children
- If you have children in your home, store candles, matches and lighters out of their sight and reach.
The above photo shows 2 candles ignited at the same time. The candle on the left appears to have had an air pocket within the wax at the time of manufacturing. When the candle burned down to the air pocket a flame 6 to 8 inches in height and 4 inches wide resulted. The flame shot up to a glass lamp shade which would have ignited if it had been combustible. At the same time the wax surrounding the pocket melted down and cracked the glass table top that the candle holder was
sitting on.
Fortunately, someone was in the room and saw what was happening and took immediate action to ensure no fire spread resulted.
Candle users are cautioned, as this example demonstrates, to be careful when using candles and never to leave a burning candle unattended. Fire can happen in the blink of an eye.
Heat Recovery Ventilation Systems
Over 51,000 homes across Ontario are at risk of fire due to the potential overheating of their heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems. The thermal protector in the motors of these HRV systems (part of many newer homes’ heating, cooling and ventilating systems) can fail and pose a potential fire hazard to homeowners.
Certain HRV models produced and installed between 1991 and 2001, and between October 2006 and August 2007, are affected. While Venmar manufactured these models, to date, the affected units were identified with the following brand names:
- Venmar Brand
- NuTone Brand
- Venmar AVS Brand
- Heil Brand
- Flair Brand
- York Brand
- vänEE Brand
- Sears Brand
- Conformax Brand
- Guardian by Broan Brand
- Carrier, Bryant Brands
- Payne
- Day & Night
- Rheem Brands
- Ruud-Protech-Weatherking
- Bryant, Carrier Brands (standard model)
Homeowners with HRV systems manufactured by Venmar Ventilation Inc. during these periods should immediately turn off and unplug their unit. Homeowners should then contact Venmar at 1-866-441-4645, or at www.venmar.ca, to determine if their unit is affected.
Concern about the HRVs arose following investigations of two home fires in Burlington in 2006. As a result of these investigations, Venmar initiated an upgrade program for affected HRVs installed between 1991 and 2001. Recently, the manufacturer initiated a second upgrade program for the HRV systems produced between October 2006 and August 2007.
The manufacturer has confirmed that about 10% of the homes with the affected HRV units have been contacted and retrofitted under the upgrade program. This leaves over 51,000 Ontario homes at risk of potential fire.
If homeowners experience any strange odours, smoke or the smell of burning in your home, call 9-1-1 immediately and have the fire department respond to determine the cause. For more information contact your fire department at 613-392-2841.
Homemade Crafts
A home made warming pad, used to relax tired or sore muscles, ignited in the microwave. The pad was made with flannel material. At the recommendation of a sales person in a local farm and seed store, the pad was filled with buckwheat hulls.
When placed in the microwave to warm the hulls, the pad began to smolder and burst into flame. The resident doused the pad in the sink and a potentially serious house fire was averted.
Was it the fault of using buckwheat or was the pad in the microwave to long and at too hot a setting? The Fire Prevention staff are not experts in the making of crafts. What we do know is that there is a danger of fire involved in the use of this type of home made product. There are similar products for sale on the market but the difference is that they are tested to a set Canadian standard and usually come with instructions and any pertinent warnings. Once again, the public
is warned that fire can happen in the blink of an eye.
Children and Fireplay
Many children have a fascination with fire. It is important to understand that while curiosity about fire is natural, fire-play can be dangerous. In fact, fire is a leading cause of death among children in the home. Unfortunately, many youngsters start the very fires that injure or kill themselves or others.
Fire-play can be many things:
Playing with matches or lighters
Playing with the toaster, stove or furnace
Burning items such as toys, paper or garbage
Setting a fire to destroy something or hurt someone.
If you would like more information on this topic please click here or call:
Quinte West Fire Prevention Office 613-392-2841
or
The Arson Prevention Program for Children (TAPP-C) 613-966-3100
Recall of Spiral Lightbulbs
From the Quinte West Fire Prevention Office and the Ontario Fire Marshal
The public is being advised to check any spiral type lightbulbs in your home as they may potentially pose a fire hazard. Specifically, these bulbs are identified as GLOBE MINI - SPIRAL 13W self ballested lamps produced between January 2002 and April 2003. These compact spiral fluorescent 13 watt bulbs are being sold throughout Canada and the USA. More specific information is available through the
websites
of the Ontario Fire Marshal (
www.gov.on.ca/ofm)
and Underwriters Laboratories of Canada
( www.ulc.ca)
Although the information advises that the problem is with bulbs manufactured up to April 2003, on approximately February 6, 2005 a Quinte West fire fighter experienced a smoking bulb manufactured by Globe in June 2003. He quickly removed all of this type of bulb from his home.
Update March 2007
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is receiving increasing reports from concerned consumers regarding the end-of-life failure of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). The end-of-life failure for CFLs may vary depending on the manufacturer of the CFL, and on the type and location of the lighting fixture being used. When CFLs fail they may emit smoke, an odour, or a popping sound; and the plastic base may become discoloured, charred or deformed. Certification agencies have advised that this failure does not present a shock or fire hazard for approved products.
This picture is representative of CFL failures reported to ESA.
ESA is concerned that it can be difficult for consumers to distinguish between what is normal and what may be a precursor to fire or some other hazardous condition. As a safety precaution, ESA encourages consumers to replace CFLs at the first sign of failure or aging. The early warning signs to look for include:
flickering, a bright orange or red glow, popping sounds, an odour, or browning of the ballast enclosure (base).
ESA is also advising consumers that different CFLs are required for different applications and use. CFLs may lack information on the packaging, or provide conflicting information about safe product use.
Consumers are encouraged to read the base of the lamp and to contact manufacturers for additional information if required. Unless otherwise specified, CFLs should not be used: in totally enclosed recessed fixtures; with dimmer switches; in touch lamps with photocells or with electronic timers; where exposed to weather; or where exposed to water.
ESA is encouraging product manufacturers to review packaging information to support consumers in making safe product decisions. Activities are underway to update the existing Canadian safety standard for CFLs to address consumers’ end-of-life product issues.
Contact: Electrical Safety Authority: Ted Olechna, Provincial Code Engineer, 905-712-5366.
Fireworks Safety Tips
To minimize the risk of fire and burn injury, the fire service does not recommend family fireworks or informal neighbourhood displays.
The fire service suggests attending public fireworks displays hosted by your municipality.
If you still choose to have a family fireworks or informal neighbourhood display, check with your local fire department about regulations pertaining to the handling and discharging of fireworks for these activities. Here are some important safety tips to be followed:
- Handling and discharging of fireworks must only be done by adults. Appoint one person to be in charge, who knows about the hazards of fireworks and essential safety precautions.
- Carefully read and follow the label directions on fireworks packaging.
- Always keep a water hose or pail of water close by.
- Discharge fireworks well away from combustible materials like buildings, trees and dry grass.
- Light only one firework at a time, and never try to light a firework, or hold a lit firework, in your hand.
- Never re-light “dud” fireworks. It is best to wait 30 minutes and then soak them in a bucket of water. Dispose of them in a metal garbage can.
- Never give sparklers to small children. While sparklers are considered to be harmless fun, they burn extremely hot and can ignite clothing, cause blindness and result in severe burns. As the sparkler wire remains hot for some minutes after burnout, it should be immediately soaked in water to avoid injury.
- If someone gets burned, run cool water over the wound for three to five minutes and seek medical attention if necessary.
