A focus on kitchen safety during Fire Prevention Week

"Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen," says WFPS, the reason for this year's theme.

October 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week in Winnipeg, with the goal to educate the public and help prevent fires from happening in the first place. 

"A majority of the residential fires in Winnipeg, about 70 per cent of them start in the kitchen," says Doug Sinclair, the Public Education Coordinator for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS). 

The Manitoba government has created a one-time, $5-million fund to provide fire protection grants to support fire protection and emergency response across the province, Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires, the minister responsible for the Office of the Fire Commissioner, announced today in a news release.

"Safety is our government’s number one priority and we are making investments that will help reduce the devastation caused by structural fires,” said Squires. “This fund will help local governments deliver long-term fire protection and public safety that they might not otherwise have been able to provide to their residents and businesses.”

Fire projects eligible for this grant include preparedness planning, training, and safety equipment. It's open to municipalities and Northern Affairs communities.

"A couple of things in regards to kitchen safety is, we want people to stay focused on their food."

A few tips Sinclair suggests are to turn off the burners when you're not in the kitchen, check on your food often, stay in the home when cooking, use a timer, and don't cook anything if you're drowsy.

"If something flares up on your stove if you can turn off the heat source, great. If you can remove the pot or pan away from the heat, that's option number two. We don't want water on a grease fire as it'll make things worse. If the flames not too big, cover it with a lid from the front to the back and smother it."

Sinclair says that people can also use a fire extinguisher if there is one nearby, but that if it's out of control, get outside and call 9-1-1.

"You should have at least one smoke alarm on every floor."

Creating a fire plan for your house and family is important as it allows people to act quickly when every second can count.

"It's important we have a plan, whether we're awake or asleep. What happens when people are sleeping, things are dark and when smoke enters the equation, it can be very confusing. They've done studies that show the more you practise, the easier it is to initiate a plan," says Sinclair.

If you live in a house or building with a room that's above the main floor, having a laddar or safe way out is crucial, according to Sinclair. 

"Have two ways out of every room. Make sure you get out and stay out, then call 9-1-1. Never go back in for anything. Have an accountability system."

Smoke alarms are to be placed high on a wall or ceiling as smoke rises. Sinclair also says one of their slogans is "stay low and go". 

Sometimes electronics can overheat and catch on fire. 

"Don't overload outlets or power bars. We shouldn't be putting objects or blankets over charges or the actual device." 

While many house and apartment fires can be prevented, being prepared in the case of a real emergency can help save lives.

"Fire spreads very quickly. We can have a room full of smoke within a minute and a half to two minutes. A room can be fully involved in fire in four minutes. We ask people to be careful and very aware."

More information and prevention tips can be found on the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service website.