Fire officials are blaming a wood stove for a $186,000 fire in Bothwell.
“Home safety is at the core of everything we do, however as the colder weather approaches the risk of fire and carbon monoxide in the home naturally increases,” stated Chris Case, assistant chief, in a press release.
“We encourage all residents to ensure their home heating appliances and chimneys are safe by cleaning and having them inspected annually.”
More details about the blaze are available, here: Bothwell blaze causes $186,000 damage
Luckily no one was home at the time of the fire and home was equipped with working alarms.
“We can not stress enough the importance of having working alarms – early detention is key – you may have less than two minutes to escape safely,” stated Whitney Burk, public educator.
With Daylight Savings Time ended, now is also time to install new batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, Burk says.
“In order for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to do their job, they need to have working batteries,” Burk said.
“At least once a year, old batteries should be replaced with new batteries and this needs to be done before you hear the chirp from your alarms. A chirping alarm means the batteries are weak and your protection is limited.”
Working smoke alarms are required on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas.
Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed outside all sleeping areas if your home has a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or attached garage.
Need help with your alarms?
Request a CHiRP Home Fire Safety Check by calling 519-360-1998 or visiting www.ckfes.ca.
