With Christmas fast approaching Fire Departments throughout the Cariboo ask everyone to be fire safe in their homes this holiday season.
Deputy Fire Chief of the Williams Lake Fire Department, Rob Warnock, said there are 3 things he’d like to remind Cariboo residents to be aware of.
If you have a real tree to make sure that it’s watered every day so it doesn’t dry out and if it does dry out to remove it from the house.
Warnock said to make sure your outlets are working properly and not to overload them, and the third tip
“We’ve had a couple of these already, chimney fires. Please don’t burn your wrapping paper in there because it burns too hot and too fast and for those people who are using their wood stoves, just a reminder you should be cleaning those once a month just to make sure they’re clean and in good working order”.
When it comes to avoiding a kitchen fire, Deputy Fire Chief of the Williams Lake Fire Department, Rob Warnock, has this reminder.
“Unfortunately we’ve had a few calls for them lately too with pots left on the stove. Please if you’re cooking make sure you shut your stove off. If you’re leaving to go do any Christmas shopping or if you’re going outside don’t leave anything unattended”.
Warnock added it’s important to test and clean smoke alarms regularly and to have a fire escape plan and to practice it regularly as well.
There have been 113 Christmas-related fires in the past decade in BC leading to 15 injuries, four deaths, and more than $14.5 million in damage.