Common fire hazards
Stay safe by learning about these common fire hazards and how to protect yourself and your family.
Alcohol
Cooking
Candles
Electrical fires
Matches and lighters
Smoking
Home Fire Escape Plan
Plan to escape
Draw a floor plan of your home showing all possible exits from each room using the template provided below. Plan a main escape route and an alternate escape route from each room, especially bedrooms.
When fire strikes, a planned step-by-step escape route can reduce panic and confusion. Most of all, it can save lives.
Choose a meeting place
Arrange an outside meeting place and a safe location to call 9-1-1. The best place to meet is in front of your neighbour’s home, and let firefighters know when they arrive.
Practice your plan
Conduct a fire drill at least once every six months. The best place to start your fire drill is from a bedroom. Sound the alarm and get everyone in the home to participate. In a real fire, you must be prepared to move quickly and carefully without confusion. Don’t rush through the drill. Make sure everyone knows exactly what to do. After the drill, discuss what took place and how to improve performance.
Documents for children (Multiple Languages)
Smoke Alarms
Installing smoke alarms in your home provides valuable time for you and your family to escape when fire strikes. This early warning is critical because most fatal home fires occur at night while people are sleeping. Place smoke alarms at the top of stairways leading to bedrooms and at the top of stairs leading from the basement.
Every home must have at least one smoke alarm for each floor where there are sleeping areas and ideally one should be installed in each bedroom. Test your smoke alarms monthly and immediately replace batteries when needed.
Carefully follow the manufacturer’s installation and maintenance instructions. Smoke alarms are simple to install and save lives.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms
If your home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage, you must have a working CO alarm adjacent to each sleeping area of the home. For added protection, install a carbon monoxide alarm on every storey of the home according to manufacturer’s instructions. Fuel-burning appliances can include furnaces, hot water heaters, gas or wood fireplaces, portable fuel-burning heaters and generators, barbeques, stoves, and vehicles.
Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, as well as confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death.
If your CO alarm sounds, and you or other occupants suffer from symptoms of CO poisoning, get everyone out of the home immediately. Then call 9-1-1 from outside the building.
If your CO alarm sounds, and no one is suffering from symptoms of CO poisoning, check to see if the battery needs replacing, or the alarm has reached its “end-of-life” before calling 9-1-1.