Household Safety Tips

Carbon Monoxide

Often called the invisible killer, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odourless, colourless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel can be sources of carbon monoxide.

Fire Safety Tips

Outdoor Fire Safety

See our Outdoor Fire Rules:

Spring Yard Cleaning Fire Safety

• Clean roof and gutters of leaves and needles
• Clean around and under decks and porches
• Keep firewood piles at least 10 meters from any structure
• Keep grass cut & watered for a minimum of 10 meters around all structures
• Prune all Spruce/Pine trees up to a height of 2 meters from the ground
• Before starting a fire, check the RM website for a burn ban and if there is none in effect, proceed to check the conditions and have adequate fire fighting tools close at hand (water hose, rake, shovel)

Holiday Fire Safety Tips

• Light up the holidays safely and use battery operated candles
• Celebrate safely and keep lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn. Blow out lit candles when you leave a room or go to bed.
• While cooking some of your holiday favourites, remember to stay alert and stay focused. If you are sleepy, have consumed alcohol or have taken medicine or drugs that make you drowsy, don’t use the stove or stovetop.
• Have your home decorated for the holidays? Remember to water trees daily, keep trees 3 ft (1 metre) from heat sources and turn off holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Enjoying the outdoors this holiday season? Keep kids at least 3 ft (1 metre) back from the backyard fire pit. Have a bucket of water, hose or fire extinguisher on hand and be ready to put out the fire quickly if needed.
• Stay cozy and safe at home over the holidays. Have furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces and chimneys inspected. Test your smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms monthly.
• Your holiday may be different this year but fire safety stays the same. Test your smoke alarms and make sure all exits and stairways are free from clutter.
• This year as we stay home for the holidays make sure to keep your family safe and have working carbon monoxide (CO2) alarms. And make sure to practice your home fire escape plans.

Helpful Resources