Some Summer Fire Safety Tips
Post date: Jun 15, 2017 1:33:34 PM
The Long Reach Fire Department wants to ensure you have an enjoyable and safe summer. Below are some general fire safety tips that will help your family enjoy all that summer can offer.
In & around the houseRecycle: Get rid of old newspapers, magazines and junk mail. These items tend to pile up and can greatly contribute to the severity and spread of fire.
Check and clean filters above stove.
Pull refrigerator out and vacuum or dust the coils.
Remove leaves and trash from carports and garages: Combustible materials are dangerous if they are exposed to heated automobile components, especially under the vehicle.
Clean up and properly store fuel containers, paints, pool and yard chemicals.
Let power equipment sit for approximately 30 minutes before placing it inside to be sure there is no possibility of fire.
BBQ Tips
All barbeque grills must only be used outdoors — using grills indoors or in enclosed spaces is not only a fire hazard, but it exposes occupants to toxic gasses and potential asphyxiation.
Check outdoor electrical outlets and other electrical appliances for animal nests .
Make sure your address numbers are up and visible from the street.
Always position the grill well away from combustible objects — buildings, fences, deck railings and landscaping can easily and quickly ignite.
Get your grill cleaned and serviced. Check all propane tanks and lines for leaks and damage.
Never leave a lit grill unattended.
Always use long handled grilling utensils and heat resistant oven mitts to avoid exposure burns from heat and flames.
Periodically remove grease build-up in catch trays to prevent it from igniting.
Keep a garden hose nearby, connected and ready for use in case of a fire.
Cottage
Fire SafetyTest smoke alarms when you return to your cottage. Pack a new smoke alarm and extra smoke alarm batteries in case they need replacement.Install carbon monoxide alarms in your cottage if it has a fuel-burning appliance. Develop and practice a fire escape plan to ensure everyone knows what to do if the smoke alarm sounds.Know your cottage's street address, in case of emergency.
Campfire Safety Tips
Check with the Department of Natural Resources (1-866-458-8080), on open-air burning restrictions. Keep up-to-date on fire bans in the area.
Fireworks Safety:
Appoint a responsible person to be in charge. Only adults who are aware of the hazards and essential safety precautions should handle and discharge fireworks.
Carefully read and follow the label directions on fireworks packaging.
Always keep a water hose or pail of water close by when discharging fireworks.
Discharge fireworks well away from combustible materials like buildings, trees and dry grass.
Keep onlookers a safe distance away, upwind from the area where fireworks are discharged.
Light only one firework at a time and only when they are on the ground. Never try to light a firework in your hand or re-light dud fireworks. For dud fireworks, it is best to wait 30 minutes and soak them in a bucket of water. Dispose of them in a metal container.
Discharge fireworks only if wind conditions do not create a safety hazard.
Keep sparklers away from children. Sparklers burn extremely hot and can ignite clothing, cause blindness and result in severe burns. As the sparkler wire remains hot for some minutes after burnout, it should be immediately soaked in water to avoid injury.
If someone gets burned, run cool water over the wound for three to five minutes and seek medical attention, if necessary
Never build a campfire on a windy day. Sparks or embers from the fire could travel quite a distance setting an unintentional fire.
Watch the wind direction to ensure sparks aren't getting on flammable materials. Put the fire out if wind changes begin to cause concern
Build campfires where they will not spread; well away from tents, trailers, dry grass, leaves, overhanging tree branches or any other combustible.
Build campfires in fire pits provided or on bare rock or sand, if no fire pit is provided.
Maintain a 2 to 3.5 meter (6 – 10 foot) clearance around your campfire.
Build a campfire surround with rocks to contain your campfire. Be aware that rocks obtained from the river may explode due to moisture in the rock becoming superheated by the campfire.
Use crumpled paper and/or kindling to start a fire rather than using flammable liquids.
Keep campfires to a small, manageable size no more than 1 meter (3 feet) high by 1 meter (3 feet) in diameter and don't let it get out of hand.
Don't burn garbage in your campfire. The smell is unpleasant for you and your neighbours, and may attract animals to your campsite.
Keep all combustible materials, including flammable liquids, propane cylinders, lighting fluid, etc. away from the campfire.
Stack extra wood upwind and away from the campfire so that sparks from the campfire cannot ignite your woodpile. Have sufficient wood on hand to eliminate the need to leave your campsite to restock.
Never leave campfires unattended. Ensure that a responsible adult is monitoring the campfire at all times. Supervise children around campfires at all times and never allow horseplay near or involving the campfire, such as jumping over a campfire. Do not allow children to run around near a campfire.
Closely supervise children while roasting treats over a campfire. A flaming marshmallow can easily ignite a child’s clothing. A heated metal skewer can be a burn hazard, as well as a puncture hazard.
Loose clothing can easily catch fire. Never reach into a campfire to rearrange pieces of wood.
Teach children how to STOP, DROP and ROLL should their clothing catch on fire. Teach children to cool a burn with cool running water for 3 – 5 minutes.
Keep plenty of water and a shovel around to douse the fire when you're done. Use caution when applying water to the campfire. Once the water has been applied, stir the dampened coals and douse it again with water. As an added precaution, shovel sand or dirt to cover the dampened coals to smother any remaining embers.
As little as 1 second contact with a 70°C (158°F) campfire can cause 3rd degree, full thickness burns.
The average campfire can get as hot as 500°C (932°F) in as little as 3 hrs.
The majority of children are burned the morning after a fire from coming into contact with hot ashes or embers.
A campfire left to burn itself out or put out with sand only, was still 100°C (212°F) eight hours later. The buried coals and embers retain their heat underground like an oven. There is also a risk that the fire may spontaneously re-ignite. A child may mistake the pile of sand or dirt as a sand castle and attempt to play in it. The temperature, less than 10 cm (4”) below the surface of the sand or dirt can be as high as 300 °C (572°F).
A campfire put out with water is reduced to 50°C (122°F) within 10 minutes of applying the water and reduced to 10°C (50°F) after 8 hrs. The safest way to extinguish a campfire is with water.