Residents reminded to use caution when cooking
Oshawa Fire Services has responded to two large residential blazes caused by unattended stoves
In light of two large cooking fires that caused significant damage to homes, Oshawa Fire Services is reminding residents to be safe.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of residential structure fires, and according to fire officials, are often preventable.
Residents are reminded to take all precautions to ensure they cook safely and reduce the risk of fire in their home.
Unattended cooking, even for a moment, can have drastic and tragic results.
Oshawa Fire Services offers these tips to avoid such a disaster:
– Keep the area around your stove free from clutter, and never leave cooking unattended
– Be aware it is the law to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas
– Carbon monoxide alarms are also required by law to be installed outside any sleeping areas
The Ontario Fire Code requires any building that contains residential spaces and any building attached to a garage to have a working carbon monoxide alarm in use. The penalty for non-working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is a fine up to $50,000 for an individual and/or one year in jail.