It was three minutes of holiday havoc. Firefighters ignited a mock living room filled with holiday hazards to demonstrate how quickly a fire can spread.
"Historically we have increased calls in December. ... We’ve got more candles used, we’ve got electrical wiring for lights," Toronto Fire Chief Jim Sales said.
"We’re in the business of not only putting out fires, but preventing them and educating people to know how to avoid them."
The fire demonstration was held during a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Toronto Fire Training Centre on Eastern Avenue.
There have been 79 fire deaths in Ontario, including 11 in Toronto, so far this year. About 75 per cent of the deaths are attributed to smoke alarms that were either not present or not working. Studies have shown that people have less than three minutes to get out of a house once the alarm has sounded.
"Make sure that you’ve got a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and outside of your sleeping areas," said Sales, adding carbon monoxide alarms are also now mandatory by law.
Sales said impairment by alcohol or drugs is also a contributing factor in many home fires.
He said fires can be prevented by never leaving cooking unattended, blowing out candles when leaving a room, never leaving matches or lighters within reach of children and not overloading electrical circuits.
He also spoke about the importance of preparing and practising a home fire escape plan with the whole family.
"A fire emergency in your home is not the time to figure out how to respond and what to do," Sales said. "Your reaction must be planned and practised to the point where they’re instinctive."
Here are 12 holiday fire safety tips from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal:
1. Water fresh trees daily.
2. Check all lights before decorating.
3. Make sure you have working smoke alarms.
4. Protect your family with carbon monoxide alarms.
5. Develop and practise a home fire escape plan with everyone in your family.
6. Avoid overloading circuits with plugs and extension cords.
7. Keep space heaters at least one metre away from anything that can burn.
8. Go flameless: avoid using real candles.
9. Keep matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children.
10. Watch what you heat: always pay attention to your cooking.
11. Encourage smokers to smoke outside (careless smoking is the leading cause of fatal fires).
12. Keep a close eye on anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol.