The following situation is one of many potential causes of accidental house fires that can result in destruction, injury, or even death.
Imagine a scented candle, forgotten and burning slowly, as the wick steadily grows. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows the curtains into the room, reaching the flame. The heat quickly ignites the synthetic curtains, and the fire rapidly climbs to the ceiling, engulfing everything in its path. Within moments, the room is crackling with an orange-yellow glow, thick black smoke covering the ceiling and creeping downward, filling the room with deadly gas and heat-filled smoke.
In this situation, the sound of your smoke alarm becomes your lifeline. Once activated, you have as little as two minutes to escape safely. Fire doubles in size every 30 seconds, and exposure to even a few breaths of house fire smoke can render you unable to self-rescue or help others.
To prepare for such emergencies, it's crucial to have a home escape plan in place. Ensure everyone knows two ways out of their sleeping area, especially if bedrooms are on upper floors. Consider purchasing home escape ladders for bedrooms on the second or third floors, and designate a meeting place outside and away from your home that everyone will remember.
Sleeping with bedroom doors closed can slow the spread of fire and smoke, giving you valuable time to escape. Test alarms monthly to ensure they're functioning properly. If necessary, install smoke alarms inside bedrooms to ensure they can be heard while sleeping.
For optimal protection, install both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms, or consider dual-sensor smoke alarms. Remember to replace smoke alarms every ten years, regardless if they are battery-operated or hardwired.
When purchasing smoke alarms, look for products manufactured and tested to an acceptable standard, indicated by a marking for the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC).
It’s also essential to have working carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home. CO is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can cause sickness or death upon exposure.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and loss of consciousness. If you experience these symptoms or if your CO alarm goes off, evacuate your home immediately and call 911. Do not re-enter until the Fire Department confirms it is safe to do so.
CO alarms should be installed on every level of your home, including the basement, with a primary focus on placing them near sleeping areas for early detection. Regularly monitor household appliances that run on fossil fuels, such as furnaces and hot water tanks that use natural gas, or propane, as they are common sources of CO gas.
Many emergencies attended by the Calgary Fire Department are preventable with proper information, safety devices, and fire prevention actions. For more information on fire prevention and home safety, visit calgary.ca/fire or call 311 for assistance.
Stay informed and stay safe!
Carol Henke is the Public Information Officer for the Calgary Fire Department.
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