Red Deer Emergency Services has responded to five structure fires since November 4. Due to this recent rise in destructive structure fires, Red Deer Emergency Services is offering important tips to keep yourself and your property safe this winter.
One of the recent fires was due to unattended cooking and another due to improper disposal of smoking materials. RDES would like to encourage residents to remember these important safety tips:
- Always stay in the kitchen when using appliances to cook; never leave cooking unattended.
- Dispose of smoking materials/cigarette butts in deep, sturdy ashtrays or non-combustible containers.
- Never empty smoking materials directly into a trash can.
- Place the ashtrays away from anything that can burn.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), while cooking is the leading cause of house fires, the use of heating sources such as portable electric heaters and fireplaces, is the second leading cause. During the winter months it is important that you take extra caution while using portable space heaters, including:
- Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
- Purchase and use only portable space heaters listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
- Purchase and use space heaters that have an automatic shut-off feature if they tip over.
- Place space heaters on a solid, flat surface and keep them and their electrical cords away from things that can burn, high traffic areas and doorways.
- Plug space heaters directly into wall outlets and never into an extension cord or power strip.
- Do not plug anything else into the same circuit as the one you are using for your space heater as doing so could result in overheating.
For more fire safety tips, check out the Home Safety Booklet available at www.reddeer.ca/firesafety.