Chief urges caution as fire deaths surge

Residents advised to test smoke alarms, practice escape plans that can save lives

With fire fatalities up 65 per cent across Ontario over this time last year, Ottawa’s fire chief is warning residents to stay safe by testing smoke alarms and practising home escape plans.

In Ottawa, seven people have died in fires since Jan. 1 compared to three fatalities in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019. Six of this year’s deaths have occurred since March 18 amid the novel coronavirus emergency.

From Jan. 1 to May 4 of this year, 51 people have died in fires in Ontario compared to 31 over the same period last year; 17 people in the province died in March alone.

“I urge you to be vigilant in preventing fires in your home, especially now, with so many people at home practising physical distancing because of COVID -19,” Ottawa fire Chief Kim Ayotte said.

“It’s just as important that you test your smoke alarms and practise your home fire escape plan.”

One person was found dead and another was seriously hurt in a fire in a low-rise apartment building in Britannia on Jan. 10.

In March, a woman in her 50s was pronounced dead at the scene of a fire in a Kanata South row house. An 81-year-old woman and 46-yearold man died in a fire that destroyed a Barrhaven condo complex, leaving eight families homeless.

On April 27, an 83-year-old woman, her 76-year-old husband and their 49-year-old son died in a house fire in Britannia.

The final reports on the causes of the fatal fires have yet to be released by the Ontario Fire Marshal.

Unattended cooking is a leading cause of house fires, Ottawa Fire Services said. Always stay in the kitchen when cooking and “keep a close eye on anyone drinking alcohol and attempting to cook or smoke.”

Ask smokers to take it outside the home and garage and to put out cigarettes in water or sand.

Blow out candles before leaving the room. Avoid overloading electrical outlets and use extension cords only as a temporary connection. Don’t run electrical cords under rugs. Keep anything that can burn at least one metre from space heaters.

There’s also a new safety warning for the pandemic age: don’t try to sterilize face masks for reuse

I urge you to be vigilant in preventing fires in your home, especially now, with so many people at home practising physical distancing ...

by heating them in a microwave; some fabric or metal components can overheat or create sparks.

Test smoke alarms monthly so they can provide the early warning needed to safely escape a fire.

Have a home fire escape plan and practise it, making sure every family member knows two ways out of each room, if possible, and who is responsible for helping young children or anyone who needs assistance to escape.

Choose a meeting spot outside, call 911 from outside the home using a cell or neighbour’s line, and never go back into a burning building, the fire department said.

Apartment dwellers should talk to their superintendent about emergency procedures.

“Only you can make sure these types of tragedies do not happen in Ottawa,” Ayotte said.