Seasonal Information
If this is an emergency dial, 9-1-1. Do not wait.
Oshawa Fire Services offers the following seasonal safety tips: please read the following information and share with your family and friends.
Barbeque/Grilling
To get your barbecue ready for grilling season, Oshawa Fire Services recommends making this four-step safety check part of your spring cleaning routine:
- Clean: use a pipe cleaner or wire to ensure the burner ports are free of rust, dust, dirt, spider webs or other debris.
- Check: examine the hose leading from the fuel supply to the burners. Replace if cracked or damaged.
- Test: find leaks by applying a 50/50 water and dish soap solution to all fuel and hose connections. If bubbles appear, tighten the connections or replace the damaged parts and always re-test.
- Inspect: propane cylinders must be inspected, requalified, or replaced every 10 years.
Christmas Holiday Safety
Oshawa Fire Services wants to ensure you have a safe and happy Christmas season.
| Day | Safety tip |
|---|---|
|
Day 1 |
Water fresh trees daily and keep the base of the trunk in water. Also, place the tree away from any ignition source such as the fireplace, heaters or candles. |
|
Day 2 |
Check all lights before decorating and check the cords closely. Discard any sets that are frayed or damaged. Never plug more than three strings of lights together. Never connect L.E.D. to conventional lights as this will likely to wear out L.E.D. bulbs faster and could pose a fire or electrical hazard. |
|
Day 3 |
Make sure you have working smoke alarms. It is the law to have one working smoke alarm on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace smoke alarms as indicated in the manufacturer's instructions. Replace batteries once per year or choose models with 10-year sealed batteries that never need to be changed. |
|
Day 4 |
Protect your family with carbon monoxide (C.O.) alarms; it is the law in Ontario. If your home has a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, you must have a working C.O. alarm adjacent to each sleeping. For added protection, install one on every storey of your home according to the manufacturer's instructions. Some models will also identify when C.O. alarms need replacement. |
|
Day 5 |
Ensure everyone knows how to get out safely if a fire occurs. Develop and practice a home escape plan with everyone in your home. Make sure someone helps young children, older adults or anyone else that may need assistance to evacuate. Once outside, stay outside and call 9-1-1 from a cell phone or neighbour's house. |
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Day 6 |
Use extension cords wisely. Avoid overloading circuits and plugs with extension cords, as this can create overheating that could result in a fire. Also, never put cords under rugs. |
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Day 7 |
Space heaters need space. Ensure they are at least one metre or three feet away from anything that can burn, such as curtains, upholstery, or holiday decorations. |
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Day 8 |
Avoid using real candles. Instead, consider a safer option, such as flameless candles. If you use real candles, remember to blow them out before leaving the room or going to bed. Also, keep lit candles safely away from children and pets and anything that can burn. |
|
Day 9 |
Keep matches and lighters out of sight and reach of children. Matches and lighters can be deadly in children's hands. If you smoke, have only one lighter or book of matches and keep them with you at all times. |
|
Day 10 |
Always stay in the kitchen and pay attention to your cooking - especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight-fitting lid over the pot to smother the flames and then turn off the heat. |
|
Day 11 |
Encourage smokers to smoke outside. Careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires. Encourage smokers to smoke outside, use large, deep ashtrays that cannot be knocked over, and ensure that cigarette butts are correctly extinguished. |
|
Day 12 |
There is more to responsible drinking than taking a cab home. During the holiday season, watch for anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is all too often a common factor in many fatal fires. |
Fireworks safety
The City of Oshawa has detailed information on the sale and lighting of fireworks. However, the safest way to enjoy them is while celebrating the public display at Lakeview Park on Canada Day.
Grass fires
The warm weather increases the possibility of grass fires in open fields, wooded areas, and pathways covered with dead and dry vegetation.
Fighting grass fires is challenging because it is difficult to get water to the area. Wind can also play a large factor in the spread of a grass fire and endangering neighbouring structures.
Community members should pay attention to their surroundings and be cautious when discarding cigarette butts and matches outside. Parents and caregivers should also ensure matches and lighters are kept in areas not accessible to children. Lighting a grass fire intentionally could result in arson charges.
Winter fire safety
Extreme cold and significant snowfall can increase hazards in your home or workplace. With this in mind, Oshawa Fire Services offers these safety tips to help keep everyone safe throughout the winter:
- Clear snow from a nearby fire hydrant when removing snow from your driveways and sidewalks to ensure fire hydrants are accessible for firefighters in case of an emergency.
- Check for snow accumulations around exit doors, stairways; and fire escapes so that occupants have safe ways out in an emergency.
- Keep intake and exhaust vents for furnaces and heating appliances free of ice and snow accumulations to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide build-up. Install carbon monoxide alarms.
- Ensure ashes from your woodstove/fireplace have cooled before emptying them into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep the container outside.
- Keep space heaters at least one meter (3 ft) away from anything that can burn, including curtains, upholstery, clothing and people.
- Install smoke alarms on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. It is the law! For added protection, consider installing additional smoke alarms in each bedroom. Test your smoke alarms monthly.
- Have your heating system inspected annually by a qualified service technician.
- Regularly check your chimney. A blocked chimney can cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to enter your home. Look for signs of corrosion, deterioration and birds or squirrels nests and have it cleaned and inspected by a professional wood energy technician at least once a year.