This is Fire Prevention Week across Ontario.
It runs until October 9th and this year’s theme is Smoke Alarms, A sound you can live with.
Owen Sound Fire Prevention Officer Greg Nicol says you should be checking your smoke alarm at least once a month to ensure its working properly.
He says if it is 10 years old, its probably time to look at getting a new alarm because technology has changed so much over the past decade.
Nicol also says you also should the time to go around the house and look for possible areas that could be a potentially fire hazard.
He says the kitchen is the number one cause of house fires, so people should be extra cautious when working in that room, especially if they are using a deep fryer or a natural gas stove.
Nicol says its the law that every home have a smoke alarm on every story and outside all sleeping areas.
If you don’t, the fire department has the power to issue a ticket for 235 dollars or lay charges that could result in a fine of up to 50 thousand dollars or a year in jail.
