Decking the halls can be hazardous over the holidays as there is an increased risk of fire.
The Centre of Wellington Fire Department is reminding the public about the importance of fire safety this time of the year.
“We let our guard down a little bit. We all want to be in that festive mood. We are going to more parties, hosting more parties, there’s more people in our house and it’s harder to keep track of things,” said Chris Paluch, the fire prevention officer at Centre Wellington Fire and Rescue.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) launched its 12 Days of Holiday Fire Safety Campaign on Thursday and the Paluch is helping spread the message.
“Certainly anytime people are in the kitchen, we want to make sure they are always there watching what they’re cooking,” Paluch said.
According to the OFM, there were 24 fatal residential fires resulting in 32 deaths in Ontario last holiday season between November 2021 and January 2022.
Paluch said everyone needs an exit plan.
“Go over the safety exits, where everyone is going to meet outside and remind everybody to get out of the house and stay outside the house and close those doors behind them,” Paluch said.
The OFM said 33 per cent of fire deaths occur during the months of November, December and January but there are simple ways to prevent fires from happening.
Paluch suggested watering the Christmas tree daily, putting out candles before leaving the room and checking your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
“Only working smoke alarms can save lives,” Paluch said, “Get out there and test them, make sure they’re less than ten years old because smoke alarms go bad after ten years and just need to be replaced.”
