Brantford Fire reminds residents to practice fire safety during the holidays

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Brantford Fire reminds residents to practice fire safety during the holidays

BRANTFORD, ON – The Brantford Fire Department reminds the public to practice fire safety during the holidays, including checking that your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are in working order, extinguishing any candles, cigarettes or flames when leaving the room, and never leaving a stove pot unattended.
“I’m wishing for a fire free holiday season and encourage everyone to practice fire safety to keep everyone safe,” says Brantford Fire Chief, Todd Binkley. “While fire can happen anywhere, at any time, it most often strikes when we let our guard down - when we’re distracted by the hustle and bustle of the holidays, by our cellphones, by the kids or by the doorbell. All it takes is for a pot to be left on the stove, or a candle left burning unattended, and a family’s holiday celebrations can turn to tragedy.”
The Brantford Fire Department encourages all residents to consider the following fire safety tips:

  • Always stay in the kitchen when something is cooking on the stove.
  • Place lit candles away from anything that can burn and out of the reach of children and pets so they can’t be knocked over. Remember to snuff out candles before leaving the room or going to bed. Consider using battery-operated or electric flameless candles.
  • Drink responsibly. Attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol is too often a contributing factor in fatal fires.
  • Make sure the base of real Christmas trees are immersed in water at all times, to prevent them from getting too dry.
  • Check all sets of decorative lights before putting them up and discard any sets that are damaged.
  • Make sure smokers extinguish cigarettes in large deep ashtrays – not in plant pots which may contain peat moss or shredded bark that can easily ignite. Ashes should be emptied in a metal container, not the garbage can, and put outside.
  • Install smoke alarms on every story of your home and outside all sleeping areas. CO alarms are required outside all bedrooms. Test your smoke and CO alarms every month and install new batteries if needed.
  • Develop and practice a home fire escape plan so that everyone in your home knows what to do if the smoke or CO alarms sound.

To learn more about fire safety visit brantfordfire.ca/FireSafety or call 519-752-0540. On behalf of the Brantford Fire Department, we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

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Media Contact:
Kelly Page | Communications Specialist, Communications and Community Engagement
City of Brantford | 519-759-4150 ext. 5779 | kpage@brantford.ca