Fire Prevention Week is underway in Sudbury

Fire Prevention Week focuses on smoke alarms Monday is the beginning of Fire Prevention Week, one of the longest-standing public health observances in the country.

Monday is the beginning of Fire Prevention Week, one of the longest-standing public health observances in the country.

This year, officials in Sudbury are focusing on the importance of smoke detectors.

“Make sure that you're checking it on a monthly basis, that you're changing the battery a couple of times a year, and that you have then a fire safety plan that tells … everybody in the house several ways to get out of each room,” said Sudbury Fire Chief joseph Nicholls.

Nicholls said he knows first-hand the impact smoke alarms can have in a family home because he experienced a fire in his home as a teenager.

"I escaped with basically a pair of jeans and shoes in winter -- one of the coldest days of that winter -- and we lost everything … stuff that's been in the family for years," he said.

"But the important thing is that a smoke detector back in the '70s alerted us to the fire and helped us get out of the house in a timely fashion. It's interesting because my dad started selling smoke detectors back before they were popular."

By law, every home in Ontario must have a working alarm on every story and outside all sleeping areas.

"Emphasizing that they should be working and test them regularly," said Phil Doiron, chief fire prevention officer.

"Make sure that they sound if there are any questions, certainly reach out to us at the fire services at 311."

According to the Ontario Fire Marshal, 85 lives have been lost in fires in Ontario already this year and most deaths in the province happen in homes with no working smoke alarms.

"We see fires, unfortunately, where there's tragedy, and that's very hard to see when many, as we talked about, many of these fires are preventable," said Nicholls.

"Unattended cooking or not discarding smoking materials or safeguarding smoking materials appropriately, those kinds of things. And so, there's lots that we can do as individuals to prevent that fire from occurring."

There will be three open houses from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Lively, Capreol and Levack stations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

The community is invited to attend and learn more about the importance of working smoke alarms.