Free home fire safety inspections are available to West Lincoln residents. Please contact the Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Prevention Officer at 905-957-3346 ext. 6733 to book an appointment or email us. We will teach you how to identify fire hazards in your home as well as provide you with other fire safety advice.

Home Fire Prevention Checklist

Follow these steps to help prevent a fire in your home. If you prefer to have a physical checklist to check off, please download the PDF version of the Home Fire Prevention Checklist below.

Home Fire Prevention Checklist

Safe and warm

  • Keep space heaters at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from walls, sofas, and anything else that can burn.
  • Make sure your chimney has been inspected or cleaned in the past 12 months.
  • Get a screen for your fireplace to catch sparks.
  • Ensure your heating system is serviced by a professional every 12 months.

Smoking materials

  • Encourage smokers to smoke outside.
  • Keep matches and lighters locked up and out of reach of children.
  • Invest in large, deep, heavy ashtrays.

Hazardous materials

  • Keep paint, gasoline and other flammable liquids stored away from flames and sparks.
  • Store gasoline outside your home in a separate shed or garage.
  • Keep your storage area free of oily rags, used paint, or varnish rags.

House wiring

  • Make sure the tripping points of your fuses or breakers match the capacity of the circuits they protect. Have them inspected by a professional.
  • Protect your bathroom and kitchen wall outlets with ground-fault circuit-interrupters (GFCIs).
  • Invest in arc-fault circuit-interrupters (AFCIs). Even though AFCIs are only mandatory for wiring bedrooms in new homes, these are an added safety feature that detect abnormal arcing in a circuit.

Kitchen Tips

  • Stay in your kitchen at all times when using the stove.
  • Keep your stovetop clear of grease, spills, and clutter.
  • Turn pot handles towards the back of your stove.

Keeping your family safe from fire

  • Make sure you have smoke alarms installed on every level of your home and in each sleeping area.
  • Make sure your smoke alarms work. Test them once per month and replace batteries once per year.
  • Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of the smoke alarm.
  • If you have people in your home who are deaf or hard of hearing, invest in alarms with flashing lights.
  • If your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old, replace them.
  • Develop a home fire escape plan, and practice it every six months.
  • Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home. Sprinklers can contain or put out a fire in less time than it takes the fire department to arrive.

If you have any questions on the above or other fire safety issues, please contact the Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Prevention Officer by email or phone 905-957-3346 ext. 6731.