Public Education

The Ontario Fire Code requires that all smoke alarms meet the Canadian Standard CAN/ULC-S531. Smoke alarms are available at local hardware and home supply stores. Ensure your alarm carries a recognized Canadian safety certification, such as ULC, CSA, ETL, or equivalent.

Smoke alarms may be battery-operated or hardwired (depending on the age of your home). If your smoke alarms are hardwired and/or interconnected with other alarms, any replacements should also be hardwired and/or interconnected to maintain proper protection.

Consult a licensed electrician for concerns with electrically hardwired smoke alarms.

The Ontario Fire Code requires that all carbon monoxide (CO) alarms meet the Canadian Standard CSA 6.19 / UL 2034. CO alarms are widely available at local hardware and home supply stores. Make sure your alarm carries a recognized Canadian safety certification, such as ULC, CSA, ETL, or equivalent.

CO alarms may be electrically powered, battery-operated, plug-in, or a combination. If you choose a plug-in or hardwired model, it is recommended to have a battery backup to ensure protection during power outages.

Consult a licensed electrician for concerns with electrically hardwired CO alarms.

If a fire occurred in your home tonight, would your family be able to get out safely? It is important that everyone know what to do and where to go when the smoke alarm sounds. Take a few minutes to make a home fire escape plan, by following these steps.

1. Draw a floor plan of your home

Draw a plan for each level of your home.

2. Include all possible emergency exits

Draw in all doors, windows and stairways. This will show you and your family all possible escape routes at a glance. Include any features, such as the roof of a garage or porch, that would help in your escape.

3. Show two ways out of every room, if possible

The door will be the main exit from each room. However, if the door is blocked by smoke or fire, choose an alternate escape route, which could be a window. Make sure that all windows can open easily and that everyone knows how to escape through them to safety. If windows have security bars, make sure they have a quick release.

4. Identify anyone who needs help to escape

Decide in advance who will help the very young, older adults or people with disabilities in your household. A few minutes of planning will save valuable seconds in a real emergency.

5. Choose a meeting place outside

Choose a meeting place a safe distance from your home that everyone will remember, for example:

• a tree
• a street light
• a neighbour’s home

In case of fire, everyone will go directly to this meeting place so they can be accounted for.

6. Call the fire department from outside your home

Don’t waste valuable seconds calling the fire department from inside your home. Once you have safely escaped, call the fire department from a cell phone or neighbour’s home.

7. Practice your escape

Review the plan with everyone in your household. Walk through the escape routes for each room with the entire family. Use this walk-through exercise to check your escape routes, making sure all exits are practical and easy to use. Hold a fire drill twice a year and time how long it takes. In a real fire, you must react without hesitation as your escape routes may be quickly blocked by smoke or flames.

Test smoke alarms monthly

Test your smoke alarms every month by using the test button on the alarm. When the test button is pressed, the alarm should sound. If it fails to sound, make sure that the battery is installed correctly or install a new battery. If the alarm still fails to sound, replace the smoke alarm with a new one.

Change the batteries at least once a year

Install a new battery at least once a year, or as recommended by the manufacturer. Install a new battery if the low-battery warning sounds or if the alarm fails to sound when tested.

Vacuum alarms annually

Dust can clog your smoke alarms. Battery-powered smoke alarms should be cleaned by opening the cover of the alarm and gently vacuuming the inside with a soft bristle brush.

For electrically connected smoke alarms, first shut off the power to the unit, and then gently vacuum the outside vents of the alarm only. Turn the power back on and test the alarm.

Replace older smoke alarms

All smoke alarms wear out. Replace them every 10 years according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires in Ontario. To prevent cooking fires:

• be alert – do not cook if you:
  • are sleepy
  • have consumed alcohol, drugs or medicine that makes you drowsy
• always stay in the kitchen while cooking and turn off the stove if you must leave
• keep anything that burns a safe distance from the stove, including:
  • oven mitts
  • cooking utensils
  • dishcloths
  • paper towels
  • potholders
• keep a proper-fitting pot lid near the stove when cooking so you can slide the lid over the pot and turn off the stove if the pot catches fire. Do not move the pot until it has cooled completely
• wear short or tight sleeves or roll sleeves up when cooking, to avoid loose-fitting clothes from catching fire on stove burners

Smoking is the number one cause of fatal home fires in Ontario. Alcohol is a factor in many smoking-related fires. To prevent smoking fires:

• be alert when smoking – you will not be alert if you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, drugs or medicine that makes you drowsy

• never smoke in bed
• encourage smokers to smoke outside, including outside the garage
• check behind chair and sofa cushions for cigarette butts before going to bed if people have been smoking in your home
• use large, deep ashtrays that cannot be knocked over
• empty ashes into a metal container, not a garbage can, and keep it outside
• do not extinguish cigarettes in plant pots, which may contain a mixture of peat moss, shredded wood and bark that can easily ignite

Electrical equipment is a leading cause of home fires in Ontario. To prevent electrical fires:

• avoid running cords under rugs which can damage the cord and cause a fire
• avoid overloading a circuit. If additional outlets or circuits are required, have them installed by a licensed electrician
• use extension cords only as a temporary connection, if permanent wiring is required, have additional outlets installed by a licensed electrician
• do not link extension cords together, use an extension cord that is long enough
• plug air conditioners and other heavy appliances directly into an outlet
• install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in bathrooms, kitchens and garages (GFCIs shut off an electrical circuit when it becomes a shock hazard)
• check electrical cords for damage, such as fraying or nicks as a damaged cord can expose wires and result in a potential shock or fire hazard

Stay safe while keeping warm. To prevent fires:

• ensure woodstoves, fireplaces and fireplace inserts are installed by a qualified technician according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• have your heating system, vents and chimneys inspected and cleaned annually by a qualified service technician
• ensure all outside heating vents are not blocked
• let ashes from your woodstove or fireplace cool before emptying them into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid and keep the container outside
• always use a fire screen in front of a fireplace
• burn dry, well-seasoned wood in fireplaces and woodstoves to reduce the risk of excessive creosote build-up in chimneys
• keep space heaters at least one metre or three feet away from anything that can burn, including curtains, upholstery and clothing

In relation to heating and vehicle safety:

• replace worn or damaged electrical wires and connections on vehicles and extension cords and use the proper gauge extension cord for vehicle block heaters
• consider using approved timers for vehicle block heaters rather than leaving heaters on all night
• ensure that vehicles are not left running inside any garage or building

The following tips will help reduce fire risk during a power outage:

• Make sure your home has battery-operated smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Electrically connected smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms will not work when the power is out unless they have battery back-ups.
• Use flashlights or battery-operated lanterns instead of candles or hurricane lamps. If using candles, place them in a secure holder and cover them with a glass chimney, away from children and pets.
• Only use propane and charcoal barbecues outdoors. Do not bring them inside.
• Purchase generators with recognized approval labels. Make sure the unit has proper connection receptacles and circuit breakers.
• Only use portable generators outdoors and ensure that exhaust fumes do not enter the home. Allow the generator to cool before refueling. Refuel the generator outside, following the manufacturer’s instructions — store fuel for the generator in approved containers outside the home.
• Use only portable space heaters that have been designed for indoor use and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Provide adequate ventilation by opening a window slightly while the heater is in use. Before refueling, turn off the heater, wait for it to cool and take the heater outside to refuel.
• Make sure electric stove elements and small appliances are off or unplugged to prevent fires from occurring when the electricity is restored.
• Have at least one phone that does not require electricity to operate. Cordless phones will not work when the power is out.