OCTOBER 1, 2020 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 19
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Fire Prevention Week focuses on kitchen, cooking safety By Jaime Myslik WELLINGTON COUNTY – Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in Canada so this year the national Fire Prevention Week theme is kitchen safety. With the tag line “serve up fire safety in the kitchen” local fire departments are asking residents to look at their cooking practices and make safe choices. “The leading cause of fires in kitchen is unattended cooking,” said Centre Wellington fire prevention office Christopher Paluch. “It used to be being in the other room, watching the TV, that sort of thing but now studies are showing that people are getting distracted by their portable devices. “People are on their cell phones, they’re on Facebook and Instagram and the next thing you know you’ve gone down that rabbit hole of looking at interesting things on Wikipedia and something’s on fire in the kitchen.” Local fire departments are reminding Wellington County residents that it’s important to stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food. “If you’re doing something like simmering, baking, roasting you know you’ve got the turkey in the oven, the important thing is to stay home all day,” Paluch said. “Don’t put the turkey in the oven and then go out to the park for a walk for hours and hours. “You need to be checking on it regularly and stay in your home.” Guelph-Eramosa fire prevention officer Mathew Williamson said a major source of kitchen fires is people cooking meat or other grease laden food and not knowing what to do when there’s a fire.
Cooking safely - Firefighter Jessica Dean of the Township of Guelph-Eramosa Fire Department cooks safely in her fire fighting gear, left, and in regular clothes, right. The theme of this year’s national Fire Prevention Week is kitchen safety. Submitted photo “You see people do things like throw water on a grease fire or use a portable extinguisher on a grease fire, both of which generally propagate a fire condition and cause it to grow,” he said. “So we’re encouraging them to put a lid on it; keeping a lid nearby when you’re cooking.” Paluch said the best thing to do is slide the lid over the pan, turn off the burner and leave the pan covered until it’s cool. Both Paluch and Williamson also said it’s important to establish a “kid free” zone about a metre away from the stove and any other surface where hot food or beverages are prepared. “So you don’t have children actively playing and wrestling around a stove where you might have a
scalding type event occur,” Williamson said. “It’s just a really good idea and it’s a good thing to get the kids used to because that’s where you know injuries can happen,” Paluch said. In addition to keeping kids out of the kitchen the fire departments are also encouraging residents to keep the cooking area clear. “We’re all guilty of it sometimes,” Paluch said. “You’re done with something on the counter and you’re doing your dinner prep and maybe something that might be possibly flammable gets a little too close to your cook top. “Always keep a clean area when you’re cooking. Make sure there’s nothing flammable on top of or anywhere near your stove and don’t
wear loose clothing.” Paluch said the theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week is kitchen safety because more people have been cooking and baking in their kitchens since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March. “Province-wide we’ve seen an increase in kitchen fires since the start of the pandemic because people are in their houses, they’re cooking during the day more often,” Paluch said. “But as well they’re trying to keep the kids busy, so they’re cooking during the day but they’re also trying to keep the kids occupied and that’s pulling them out of the kitchen and they’re not watching things in the kitchen like they normally would be. “We have definitely seen
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a rise province-wide from kitchen fires.” In addition to kitchen safety both fire prevention officers, as well as Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson, said it’s imperative to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on all levels of a house. “Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms provide us with so much time,
extra time and advanced warning that we can get out of the house in the event of an emergency,” Paluch said. However, Richardson said it’s not the best idea to put the smoke alarm right in the kitchen. “When you put it inside, sometimes ... a little bit of toast causes a little bit of smoke and so the smoke alarm goes off and usually somebody hits them with a towel or bag or something like that to knock the smoke away,” Richardson said. “And you usually end up hitting the smoke alarm down and they don’t replace it.” He said it’s a good idea to locate the alarm in a room or hallway just off the kitchen. Just having a smoke alarm isn’t enough. All fire officials also said it’s important to have a home escape plan with at least two different ways out of the house. “It’s a good time to do that and test it and practice it when you’re not having a fire, you’re not having an emergency because when something happens, the same as when you’re in school, it’s just a drill and you automatically do it because you practice it,” Richardson said. Williamson also pointed out that it’s important to tailor an escape plan to each individual family’s needs. It will look different with young children in the house than an aging parent who has trouble walking or someone CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
SERVE FIRE SAFETY
IN THE KITCHEN
Cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Centre Wellington Fire Rescue reminds you to stay safe in the kitchen, and by following our easy tips, kitchen fires can be easily preventable • Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, don’t use the stove or stovetop • Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling food • If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the kitchen, and use a timer • Keep anything that can catch fire — oven mitts, wooden utensils, towels or curtains — away from your stovetop
For more great tips, visit centrewellington.ca/fire
20 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER |
OCTOBER 1, 2020
fire
preventi n
Enbridge Gas helps Centre Wellington Fire Rescue reduce fire, carbon monoxide deaths through Project Zero CENTRE WELLINGTON – Enbridge Gas and Centre Wellington Fire Rescue are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related
deaths down to zero. Centre Wellington Fire Rescue received 240 combination smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms through Project Zero – a public educa-
Because your home is more than just a house Be sure your homeowners insurance is properly protecting what matters most to you. Stop in, call or click to contact me today.
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Steve Lund, Agent 198 St Andrew St W Fergus ON 519-843-5131 steve.lund@desjardins.com fergusinsurance.com Desjardins, Desjardins Insurance and related trademarks are trademarks of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec, used under licence.
tion campaign that will provide 7,500 alarms to residents in 35 municipalities across Ontario. “Centre Wellington Fire Rescue is very pleased to be receiving these alarms from our friends at Enbridge Gas,” said Centre Wellington deputy fire chief Tom Mulvey. “Working smoke and CO alarms save lives, and give people the warning they need to get to safety quickly in the event of an emergency. “Households in Centre Wellington will be directly affected by this program, and that is just fantastic.” This year, Enbridge Gas invested $225,000 in Project Zero, and over the past 12 years, the program has provided more than 50,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments. “The objective of Project Zero is to deliver combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario communities who need them the most,” said Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to
help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a CO alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.” When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels. “Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives,” said Murray Costello, director, Southeast Region Operations, Enbridge Gas. “We know that the best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and that the alarms are a critical second line of defense to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.”
Practice preparedness, prevention – resources on barn fire prevention from Equine Guelph
GUELPH - Waiting until the wildfire approaches dangerously close is no time to draw up a disaster preparedness plan. Learning the hazards of storing hay is too late after the barn is reduced to ashes and all is lost. It is not a scenario that one fathoms will ever happen to them, until it does. Equine Guelph’s October healthcare tool of the month is the free, interactive Barn Fire Prevention tool. This is a good place to start before signing up for the HorsePortal.ca Fire and Emergency Preparedness one-week short online course set to begin Oct. 5. Returning expert guest speaker Rebecca GimenezHusted will be available all week to provide insight and answer questions. Gimenez has travelled the world providing training in Technical Large Animal Rescue Techniques (TLAER website) and has published numerous critiques, techniques and journal articles on the topic.
As a volunteer firefighter in Gray, GA, Gimenez is doing reasearch and development work with University of Edinburgh (UK), EKU (KY) and several veterinary schools. A past Logistics Officer for FEMA’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT -2), decorated combat veteran and a Major in the US Army Reserves (retired); Gimenez offers a wealth of information and is active in various organizations related to disaster preparedness. The Fire and Emergency Preparedness course has a strong focus on prevention but also contains an abundance of information that can ensure if the unthinkable happens students are in a position to do everything to improve the odds of a successful outcome. For more information on fire and emergency preparedness visit Equine Guelph’s Barn Fire Prevention Tool and sign up for the one week online short course, Oct. 5 to 13 at TheHorsePortal.ca.
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A barn on a property near the intersection of Wellington Road 10 and Mapleton Concession 3 was destroyed by fire on Sept. 3. Advertiser file photo
Fire Prevention Week focuses on kitchen, cooking safety CONT’D FROM PAGE 19 who has difficulty hearing the smoke alarm themselves. He said it’s important to change and adapt that escape plan as the family dynamics change. While both Paluch and Williamson said cooking fires are one of the most common calls they get, Richardson said they are not common in Mapleton. There barn fires are more common. Richardson said it’s important to inspect the electrical work to ensure it’s safe, while Paluch suggested ensuring the area is clean around the furnace or propane heaters. “I know it’s hard in a farm setting, but tidiness leads to safety so if everything is working exactly the way it should be and we’re keeping up on the same maintenance as we always do, it goes a long way to help keep things a lot safer in a farm setting,” Paluch said. Another common fire hazard in houses in Wellington County and the province
is careless smoking where someone doesn’t completely extinguish a cigarette, or they fall asleep with a cigarette in their hand. “I’m going to say that drowsiness, what we’re seeing just as an observation, is like impairment, sometimes leads to those issues occurring so whether it’s impairment by alcohol or cannabis or what have you,” Williamson said. “Those things definitely negatively influence both unattended cooking or kind of that dismissiveness around cooking and/or smoking safety.” Both Guelph-Eramosa and Centre Wellington, as well as other fire departments around Wellington County, will most likely be offering Fire Prevention Week activities online this year as it’s not safe to bring people together due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Look at each individual fire department’s websites to see what information is available.
OCTOBER 1, 2020 | THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 21
fire
preventi n Practicing good fire safety can help keep prized possessions and loved ones safe
Take note of the basic precautions below so you can help stop a fire before it starts. Cooking Never leave the stove unattended while cooking. Do not allow pot handles to hang over the edge of the stove and keep them well out of reach of children. Wear short sleeves when preparing meals. When frying, use a Canadian Standard Association (CSA)-certified appliance with a thermostat and always follow the manufacturer’s safety guide. If there’s a cooking fire, leave the pot or skillet where it is, place a lid over it and turn the stove off. Never pour water onto it - especially if it’s an oil-based fire. Barbecue Place your barbecue at least 60cm away from doors and windows. - Always place coal-burning barbecues on a nonflammable surface and at least one metre away from flammable materials. Always light your barbecue with the cover open. Turn the gas bottle off before turning the barbecue off. This gives the gas a chance to vent from the pipes. Wood stoves Ashes can stay hot for hours or even days. Dispose of them in a lidded metal container outside and away from combustible materials and buildings. Ethanol fireplaces Only use a fireplace certified by a Standards Council of Canada accredited organization. Never add ethanol to your fireplace while it’s burning – it’s extremely volatile. Wait at least 15 minutes for it to cool down instead. When re-filling your fireplace, only use the quantity of ethanol indicated in the instructions. Don’t light your fireplace if there’s any ethanol outside the tank or along the edges. Portable space heaters Keep your heater at least
three feet (one metre) away from anything flammable. Choose a heater with a proper thermostat, overheat protection and auto shut-off in case it tips over. Plug your heater directly into the wall outlet – never use an extension cord. Dryers Remove any lint or residue around the filter before and after each use. Turn the dryer off before you leave the house or go to bed. Extension cords Inspect cords to ensure they are not frayed, cracked or damaged. Don’t place cords in high traffic areas, under carpets or across doorways where they can be easily damaged. Avoid wrapping electric cords while they are plugged in – the heat released can damage the protective cover and cause an electrical arc that can set fire to nearby flammable materials. Electrical panel Always replace fuses or circuit breakers with the correct size and amperage. If you have plug-type fuses, check them periodically to ensure they are snug.
Candles Never walk around with a lit candle. Always place candles on a stable surface and use nonflammable holders. Keep flames away from flammable materials like curtains and clothing. Smoking Never smoke in bed or leave a burning cigarette unattended. Always place ashtrays on a stable surface.
Douse your ashtray contents with a small drop of water and allow them to cool down completely before disposal. In addition to installing smoke alarms, following the precautionary steps outlined above can not only help keep you, your belongings and your home safe – it could also keep your premium from increasing. Submitted by Steve Lund, Desjardins Insurance Agent
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STAY FOCUSED Unattended cooking can lead to kitchen fires PREVENT BURNS Use oven mitts when checking or removing food from the oven or stove
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For further information please visit the Fire Department’s website at www.get.on.ca/ living-here/firedepartment or mwilliamson@get.on.ca Rockwood Fire Station 5141 Wellington 27, Rockwood