Fire prevention tips for the holiday period

The City reminds everyone to review these tips from the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) to ensure a safe holiday period:

Christmas tree

  • Place your Christmas tree away from heat sources and somewhere it will not interfere with evacuation.
  • Turn off the lights on your Christmas tree before you go to bed and when you leave the house.
  • Always keep the base of a natural tree in water to keep it moist.
  • Follow the City’s information to dispose of your Christmas tree.

Candles

  • Place candles in specially designed glass containers to protect the flame and avoid contact with flammable materials.
  • Place candles where they won’t be knocked over and out of the reach of children and pets.
  • Blow out all candles before leaving a room or going to sleep.
  • Electric candles are preferable.

Holiday cooking

  • Don’t let visitors distract you, always keep an eye on your cooking appliances!
  • Never put objects in the oven or on the cooking surface that don’t belong there.
  • Keep children away from cooking appliances.

Auxiliary heaters

  • Space heaters and similar appliances should never be left unattended. Switch them off when you leave a room and before going to bed.
  • Keep a clear space of one metre around heaters and combustible materials.
  • Remember, heaters should never be left unattended.

Evacuation

  • No matter the season, you must have a plan to evacuate your building in an emergency. Clear snow from all exits (windows and doors) in your home, including stairways and balconies.

Smoke alarms

  • Don’t forget that a smoke alarm is your best ally in the event of a fire. Under current regulations, you are required to install and maintain one until its expiry date.