It’s the start of flood season in B.C., but the provincial government is asking the public to start thinking of fire safety.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Public Safety issued a press release that asked residents to take advantage of downtime during the coronavirus pandemic and begin fireproofing their properties.
According to the ministry, there’s been an increase in reported fire-related fatalities this year.
The ministry recorded 15 such deaths between Jan. 1 and April 30, compared to five during that same timespan in 2019.
“We all have a role to play in keeping each other safe,” said Jennifer Rice, parliamentary secretary for Emergency Preparedness B.C., noting it’s a good time to test smoke alarms and practice fire-escape plans.
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“It’s up to each of us to make sure these types of tragedies do not happen,” added fire commissioner Brian Godlonton.
“In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to get out safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. There are simple things that we can do to prevent a fire from happening and be prepared to react if a fire starts.”
Below are tips from the ministry on how to reduce fire risks:
- Make sure smoke alarms work.
- Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.
- Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires.
- Extinguish candles before leaving the room.
- Encourage smokers to smoke outside the home and garage.
- Thoroughly extinguish all smoking materials in water or sand.
- Avoid overloading electrical outlets.
- Make and practise a home fire escape plan.
- Make a home escape plan.
- Determine who will be responsible for helping young children, older adults and anyone who needs assistance to escape.
- Choose a meeting place outside where everyone can be accounted for.
- Once out, stay out. Never re-enter a burning building.
For more information about fire safety, click here and here.
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