Avoid a Recipe for Disaster this Fire Prevention Week

Chief Stephen Laforet is reminding everyone in Windsor to keep fire safe when cooking as part of Fire Prevention Week 2023

Fire Prevention Week (FPW) runs from October 8 to 14, 2023, and Windsor Fire & Rescue Services is urging everyone in Windsor to practise fire safety while cooking with some simple tips and reminders for a safe kitchen.

Cooking remains the leading cause of residential-loss fires in Ontario, but if we follow a fire-safe recipe, disaster can be avoided. Adding an ounce of prevention is the not-so-secret ingredient that will ensure your meal is one to remember for all the right reasons.

Unattended cooking, distractions, and being under the influence of alcohol or other substances leave you unprepared to act in the event of fire. It’s also recommended to avoid a cluttered workspace around the stove and loose-fitting clothes that can easily lead to items catching fire. Consider creating a prep station away from the stove; avoid cooking under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; and secure loose hair or clothing.

Chief Stephen Laforet urges you never to leave the kitchen when the stove is on, not even for a minute. A fire can start fast, and an unattended pot on fire will spread before you are even aware. If you must leave the cooking area, turn off the stove. Unattended cooking is not an accident, and it can be avoided by staying by the stove.

Using Windsor Fire & Rescue Services’ tools and resources, you can practise fire-safe cooking tonight with further tips and some recipes shared by the Office of the Fire Marshal on our website and social media channels.

We also remind you to ensure that a working smoke alarm is installed on every storey of the home and tested at least once a month. Have a home fire escape plan that is practised by everyone in the home for a safe escape in an emergency once the smoke alarm sounds.

Quotes

“There’s no excuse for a fire in the kitchen as a result of unattended cooking. Being fire safe starts with prevention. This Fire Prevention Week, remember that most fires in the home start in the kitchen and practice fire safe cooking.” — Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg

“Accidents can happen but can be avoided by practising fire safety in the kitchen, starting with staying by the stove, keeping a lid close to slide over pot in the event of fire, keeping a clear area around the stove, and avoiding distractions to focus on the task at hand when cooking.” — Windsor Fire Chief Stephen Laforet

Learn More

Windsor Fire & Rescue Services is organizing a variety of events during Fire Prevention Week, including the following

  • Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Mercato Fresh Grocery Store, 3235 Banwell Avenue – Fire prevention officers (FPO) and fire crews on scene giving out free reusable tote bags with cooking safety messaging and answering fire safety questions
  • Wednesday, October 11, 2023, – 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Oak Park Terrace, 1750 North Service Road – Residents having Coffee with Firefighters and Fire Prevention Officers
  • Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Elder College staff and student extinguisher training – Canterbury College, 2500 University Avenue.
  • Wednesday, October 11, 2023, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Open house at all seven fire stations with firefighters and fire prevention officers:
    • Station #1 - 815 Goyeau Street
    • Station #2 - 3121 Milloy Street
    • Station #3 - 2750 Ouellette Avenue
    • Station #4 - 2600 College Avenue
    • Station #5 - 2650 Northwood Street
    • Station #6 - 1587 Provincial Road
    • Station #7 - 1380 Matthew Brady Boulevard
  • Thursday, October 12, 2023, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. – Fire safety booths inside at Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue; and Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East.
  • Thursday, October 12, 2023, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Superstore, 2430 Dougall Avenue – Firefighters and FPO on scene giving out free reusable tote bags with cooking safety messaging and answering fire safety questions.
  • Friday, October 13, 2023, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. – Fire safety booths inside at Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue; and Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East.
  • Friday, October 13, 2023, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Life After Fifty members fire extinguisher training – Adie Knox Herman Recreation Complex parking lot. 1551 Wyandotte Street West.
  • Saturday, October 14, 2023, – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Fire safety booths inside at Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue; and Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East.
  • Saturday, October 14, 2023, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Devonshire Mall, 3100 Howard Avenue, near The Gap – fire truck tours and demonstration
  • Saturday, October 14, 2023, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Tecumseh Mall, 7654 Tecumseh Road East, near the front entrance – fire truck tours and demonstration

Visit our website at www.WindsorFire.com or @WindsorFire1 on Twitter.