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A Fire Escape Plan
for Every Home
A home fire can start much more easily
than most people think. In fact,
firefighters battle more than 50,000
residential fires in Canada every year.
Yet a recent survey shows most
Canadians might not be prepared if a
fire were to strike their home.
This year, the Canada Safety
Council and Duracell commissioned
a cross-Canada survey on fire safety. It
found that 70 per cent of respondents
had not held a home fire drill
in the past year — down eight per
cent from 2005. In fact, an alarming
69 per cent did not have a home fire
escape plan in place.
Key Factors in
Home Fires
Smokers’ materials are the leading
cause of fire-related fatalities and
loss in Canada. New standards for
self-extinguishing cigarettes, which
came into effect in October 2005, will
help reduce fires due to careless
smoking.
The kitchen is still the most dangerous
room for fire, with grease fires
a common culprit. But over the past
few years, candles have led to more
and more home fires. Outside the
holiday season, candle fires most
often start in the bedroom. Fires
caused by cooking and candles can be
prevented by never leaving cooking
or burning candles unattended.
Most fatal fires start at night.
Smoke alone won’t necessarily wake
you up — in fact, the fumes could put
you into an even deeper sleep. That is
why you need a smoke alarm on every
floor, near the kitchen and outside all
sleeping areas. Test each unit regularly
and replace the batteries regularly.
A good way to remember is to change
the batteries when you change your
clocks in the spring and fall.
Plan and Practise Your Escape
In addition to having smoke alarms that work properly, your best defence
against a fire is a well-rehearsed, escape plan. Knowing exactly what to do can
save precious seconds in the event of a real emergency.
The Canada Safety Council recommends these steps to prepare for a family
fire drill:
1 Draw a floor plan of your house.
2 Mark two ways out of each room.
3 Establish a meeting place outside the house.
4 Be sure each family member has the plan and knows the escape route.
5 Post your fire escape plan on the refrigerator or family bulletin board.
6 Hold a fire drill for your family once or twice a year. Vary the drills to practise
escaping from different fire sources.
For more tips and to view a short online video about home fire safety,
visit www.duracellfiresafety.com.
Due East Magazine • Page 23 • Fall 2008
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