COQUITLAM, B.C., December 1, 2023 – With colder and longer evenings coming as we near the holiday season, Coquitlam Fire/Rescue is providing residents with tips to protect their families and homes this winter.
- Use only CSA-approved light sets and do not overload circuits. Check prior to using and discard any that are frayed or damaged. Use proper clips to install outdoors (not staples), and remember to always turn off lights before leaving home or going to bed.
- Ensure all home heating appliances like furnaces, gas fireplaces, chimneys, space heaters, etc. are in good working condition. Remember to place portable devices at least 1 metre away from flammable materials.
- Choose battery-operated ‘flameless’ candles as a safe alternative to open-flame candles. If you use open-flame candles, never leave them unattended.
- Do not leave cooking unattended. During the holiday season, cooking brings family and friends together, however, cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and injuries - stay in the kitchen and pay attention while cooking.
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location of your home as per manufacturer's instructions. Called the silent killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odourless, colourless gas created when fuels, such as natural gas, burn incompletely in the home. The carbon monoxide that builds can cause serious illness or even be fatal.
- Be sure there is a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and that all family members recognize its sound – smoke alarms save lives. They make great gifts too!
- Select a tree with needles that are difficult to pull off the branches if putting up a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Make a fresh cut off the bottom, immerse the trunk in water, replenish it daily and place the tree at least 1 metre away from heat sources. If your tree is artificial, be sure that it is fire retardant.
- Ensure your family has an emergency escape plan that includes the routes to get out of your house in case of a fire. Make sure all family members know the plan and practice at least two ways out of every room, if possible.
For more information, visit www.coquitlam.ca/SeasonalSafety.
Media contact:
Bob Hieltjes
Assistant Chief Fire Prevention
firerescue@coquitlam.ca
604-927-6433
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.