Fire and Emergency Services

Carbon monoxide

In Ontario, over 80% of all carbon monoxide deaths and injuries occur in homes. View our carbon monoxide tips, resources and who to contact to learn how you can keep you and your family safe from carbon monoxide in your homes.

Kitchen safety

Cooking is the number one cause of home fires in Ontario. Here are some tips about kitchen safety to help prevent accidents and fires in your home:

• Never leave cooking unattended
• Keep your cooking area clean
• Don't store combustible objects near the stove
• Always turn pot handles inward on stove
• Wear short sleeves or close-fitting sleeves when cooking
• Don't overheat cooking oil
• Never cook while under the influence of alcohol
• Put a lid on a pot or pan that catches fire, turn off the stove burner and leave the lid on until completely cool
• Don't carry a burning pan to a sink or outside (movement can cause the fire to ignite or hot grease to spill and cause burns)
• Keep the door shut and turn off the heat of a microwave or oven that catches fire (if flames don't go out immediately, call the fire department at 911)
• Never pour water on a grease fire
• Always keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen door

Wood stove and fireplace maintenance

If you have a wood stove or fireplace within your home, follow these steps to keep your heating sources maintained to avoid the risk of fires in your home:

• Inspect and clean your chimney annually
• Check stovepipes and connections
• Check for creosote
• Check walls for excessive heat
• Protect walls and floors from heat and sparks
• Install a rain cap
• Watch for warning signs, such as corrosion or rust on the outer shell or liner of a chimney, as well as loose bricks, crumbling mortar, dark stains, and white powder
• Ensure Stove is Wood Energy Technology Transfer (WETT) certified
• When in doubt, call an expert

Smoking

Careless smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths in Ontario. Here is how you can help prevent fires from smoking in your home:

• Encourage smokers to smoke outside and never allow anyone in your home to smoke in bed
• Never extinguish cigarettes in plant pots, which often contain a mixture of peat moss, shredded wood and bark that can easily ignite
• Use large deep ashtrays that can't be knocked over
• Empty ashtrays into a metal container, not the garbage can, and store the container outside

Electrical safety

Always use a licensed electrician for any electrical work. Contact the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) for information about renovation plan requirements and electrical product recalls.

Other electrical safety tips include:

• Only use extension cords as a temporary connection (if you need something more permanent, have additional outlets installed by a licensed electrician)
• Check electrical cords for damage, such as fraying or nicks, and avoid running them under rugs (a damaged cord can expose wires and result in a potential shock or fire hazard)
• Don't overload a circuit by connecting multiple extension cords to one outlet (if additional outlets or circuits are required, have them installed by a licensed electrician)

Matches and lighters

Every year in Ontario, children are injured or die in fires they start themselves. In the hands of children, matches and lighters can be deadly weapons. Follow these safety tips when using matches and lighters:

• Keep all fire-starting materials out of the sight and reach of children
• Teach young children not to touch matches and to tell an adult if they find them
• If you suspect your child is involved in inappropriate fire play, call the Greenstone Fire Department at 807-854-1100 for information and assistance

Who's responsible?

It is the homeowner's responsibility to install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of their home and outside all sleeping areas. In rental properties, it is the landlord's responsibility to ensure their rental property meets smoke alarm rules and regulations.

Please note it is against the law to remove the batteries or tamper with smoke alarms. These are life safety devices!

How to install a smoke alarm

Make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions to install your smoke alarm. Test smoke alarms every month using the test button.

Choosing the right alarm

There are two main types of alarms available, Ionization and Photoelectric.

• Ionization alarms use electrical current to detect smoke, responding slightly faster to flaming fires
• Photoelectric alarms use a beam of light to detect smoke from slow, smoldering fires and are a good choice for near a kitchen or bathroom to prevent nuisance alarms

Alarms are advancing in technology. You can now purchase sealed battery 10-year alarms (never change a battery!), even combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Some may also allow you to connect alarms together with a wire or wirelessly tp alert your entire home to danger.

Please note that the Ontario Fire Code requires that hardwired (120V) alarms are replaced with another hardwired one.

Maintaining smoke alarms

Here are some tips to ensure you can rely on your smoke alarms:

• Test your smoke alarms regularly, monthly is encouraged!
• Change your batteries at least once a year if they have one and whenever the low battery warning chirps (when you change your clocks, change your batteries)
• Vacuum your alarms to clean out dust at least once a year
• For battery-operated alarms, open the cover of the alarm and gently vacuum the inside with a soft bristle brush
• For electrically powered alarms, first shut off the power to the unit and then gently vacuum the outside vents of the alarm only (don't forget to turn the power back on and test the alarm)
• Replace your smoke alarms every ten years

Alarms have a service life of up to 10 years, this includes alarms that are attached to your some security system. After that point they become less sensitive and may cause a delay in activating, or fail to activate all together.

Nuisance alarms

Nuisance alarms are caused by smoke from cooking or steam from a shower. Never remove the battery or disconnect the power to deal with a nuisance alarm. Try moving the location of the smoke alarm, purchase a smoke alarm with a hush feature or replace ionization alarms located near the kitchen with photoelectric alarms.

To stop nuisance alarms caused by cooking:

• Keep ovens and stovetop burners clean
• Clean out crumbs in the bottom of toasters and turn down the setting
• Use the fan on the range hood when cooking

Learn more about dealing with nuisance alarms.