Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Fire Prevention Week kicks off this Sunday, with a focus on the number one cause of home fires and injuries: cooking.
Greater Napanee Fire is joining departments across the country that will be promoting this year’s theme: Cooking Safety Starts With You, Pay Attention to Fire Prevention.
Though most people are aware of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not everyone equates that to the danger of cooking while intoxicated.
“You will not be alert if you are sleepy, having consumed alcohol or have taken medications or drugs,” said James Feeney, deputy fire chief with Greater Napanee.
People are reminded to stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food and if they must leave the room, they should turn off the stove. Keeping the stove clear or mitts, wooden utensils or towels is also a good practice to help prevent a kitchen fire. After all, the leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking, with most fires originating from the stove.
As always, a working smoke alarm is critical for all levels of the house.
“We always tell people if a fire does happen to make sure they get out and stay out and call 9-1-1,” said Feeney. “We see it sometimes where people do their best to put out a fire, they try to move a pot, the pot becomes hot, it falls with hot liquid, they get burned. We always say if it does happen, get out and stay out and call 9-1-1 immediately.”
The messaging is particularly important as Ontario has seen a sharp rise in the number of fire related fatalities, climbing to 133 last year, up from 124 in 2021, which was a rise from 115 in 2020. More people staying home during the pandemic and cooking more could be a major factor as the number of deaths was 72 in 2019.
To help mark Fire Prevention Week, Greater Napanee Fire will be hosting an open house on Oct. 11 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the Napanee Fire Hall at 66 Advance Ave. Members of the public are invited to tour the fire hall, witness some safety demonstrations and enjoy a charity barbecue.
Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 8-14. This year marks the 101st anniversary of National Fire Protection Association declaring the week of Oct. 9 to be Fire Prevention Week in honour of the great Chicago fire, which raged Oct. 8-10, 1871. The fire killed about 300 people and destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles of the city. Many of the lessons learned from the tragedy have been adapted over the years to ensure better public safety.