Winter Fire Safety

The fall season is a great time to get our homes fire safe in anticipation of the colder months ahead. As we begin to heat our homes again, ensure that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly. Both should be tested monthly and new batteries added at least once a year.

Remember, smoke alarms only last 10 years and need to be replaced when they expire.

Home Heating

Every year, during the cooler months, home heating devices cause a number of fires throughout Edmonton.

These simple tips can help keep you and your loved ones, safe.

  • Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • If you smell gas, do not light the appliance. Leave the building immediately and call 911 for help. You can also call the ATCO Gas emergency line, 24 hours a day, at 780-420-5585 for Edmonton and area.
  • All fuel-burning equipment (such as wood burning stoves) should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

  ​Stay Safe Sheet: Carbon Monoxide​

Access to fire safety equipment like smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and portable fire extinguishers is your best defence against fire or carbon monoxide hazards.

Home Fire Safety Equipment

Heating Equipment

  • Heating equipment needs space
    • Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from heating equipment (such as space heaters, furnaces, fireplaces and wood stoves)
    • Establish a "kid-free" and/or "pet-free" zone at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from heating equipment
  • Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional
  • Never use your oven to heat your home

  Stay Safe Sheet: Home Heating 

Electric Portable Space Heaters
  • Place the heater on a solid, flat surface
  • Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over
  • Plug space heaters directly into the wall outlet; never use an extension cord
  • Turn off and unplug space heaters when you leave the room or go to bed
  • Avoid using electric space heaters in bathrooms or other areas where they may come in contact with water
  • Don’t dry wet items (such as socks, clothing, towels, shoe felts) on space heaters
Furnaces
  • Ensure all furnace controls and emergency shut offs are in proper working condition
  • Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line
    • If the wall is hot or discoloured, additional pipe insulation or clearance may be required
  • Check the flue pipes and pipe seams
    • Are they well supported? Are they free of holes and cracks? Soot along or around seams may indicate a leak.
  • Always keep furnace access covers in place
  • Be sure to lubricate your furnace fan twice a year
    • Always use proper oil and turn the furnace off prior to removing the access cover
  • Replace furnace filters regularly
Fireplaces
  • Keep a metal screen or heat-tempered glass in front of the fireplace opening to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out and unwanted material from going in, as well as to help prevent the possibility of burns
  • Keep flammable materials away from the mantel as a spark from the fireplace can easily ignite them
  • Fully extinguish the fire when you leave the room, home, or go to sleep
    • Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up again, and will force carbon monoxide into the home.
  • It’s always a good idea to crack a window open for a fresh supply of air
Wood and Pellet Stoves
  • Know what to burn
    • In wood stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood
    • In pellet stoves, burn only dry, seasoned wood pellets
  • Clean the inside of your stove periodically using a wire brush
  • Allow ashes to completely cool before disposing of them
    • Place ashes in a covered metal container
    • Keep the container at least 10 feet away from the home and other buildings

Be Winter Ready

Power Outage

Have flashlights and/or battery-powered lighting nearby with new batteries

Generators should be used outdoors

  • Keep generators away from windows and doors
  • Do not run a generator inside your garage, even if the door is open
  • Stay away from downed power lines 

Heat Stops Working

Use extra layers of clothes and blankets to stay warm

If you use an emergency heat source, keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away

Home Exterior

Clear the ice and snow off the driveway and sidewalks to ensure an easy and safe escape in the case of a fire

If there is a fire hydrant near your home, you can assist the fire department by keeping the hydrant clear of snow so it can be located in an emergency

Check the outdoor clothes dryer vent flap to make sure it is not covered with snow

Frozen Water Pipes

Never try to thaw frozen water pipes with a blow torch or other open flame - as the pipe could conduct the heat and ignite the wall structure inside the wall space 

Use hot water or a UL-labeled device such as a hand-held dryer for thawing

Summer Fire Safety

We wait for it all winter long: summer. The season for road trips, vacations, backyard barbecues, evening fires, camping and boating. While we prepare to enjoy the outdoors, it is best that we keep a few fire safety tips in mind.

You can help keep Edmonton safe by checking albertafirebans.ca or calling 311 before you burn to find out if there is a fire ban in Edmonton.

Fire Pits and Campfires

Fire Pits

Fire pits must meet the standards outlined in the City of Edmonton Community Standards Bylaw. According to the bylaw, your fire pit must:

  • Be at least 10 feet (3 metres) away from buildings, property lines, overhead power lines and any other combustibles (such as, trees)
  • Not exceed 2 feet (0.6 metres) in height
  • Not exceed 3 feet (1 metre) in width or diameter
  • Have enclosed sides made from bricks, concrete blocks or heavy-gauge metal
  • Have a spark-arrestor mesh screen with openings no larger than 1.25 cm (0.5 inch)
  • Only burn clean fuel, such as natural gas, dry wood or charcoal, when using a fire pit.

Remember, it is illegal to burn rubber, plastic, or any material that generates unacceptable amounts of dense smoke which can be noxious, offensive and toxic.

Campfires

Before setting up a campfire, check that you are permitted to do so in the area.

  • Campfires need to be at least 8 metres (25 feet) away from any structure and anything that can burn
  • Clear away dry leaves and sticks, and any overhanging low branches or shrubs
  • Avoid burning on windy, dry days
  • Never use gasoline or other flammable or combustible liquids to start a fire
  • Always have a hose, bucket of water, or shovel with dirt or sand nearby to extinguish the fire 
  • Never leave a campfire unattended
  • Never let children or pets play or stand too close to a burning fire
  • If your clothes catch fire, Stop, Drop, and Roll continually until the fire is out
  • Treat a burn as soon as possible
  • Cool the burn with cold water for 3 to 5 minutes, then cover with a clean, dry cloth 
  • Get medical help if needed

Roast with Care

Roasting marshmallows or making s'mores?

  • Remember to help young children
  • Never shake a roasting marshmallow stick - it can turn into a flying, flaming ball
  • Heated metal skewers can also cause burns

 

Barbequing (BBQ) / Grilling

  • Place the BBQ at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from the home, deck railings and out from under eavestroughs and overhanging branches 
  • Keep children and pets at least 3 feet (1 metre) away from the grilling area
  • Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in the trays below
  • When lighting your barbecue, have the match or lighter already burning with the barbecue lid open before you turn on the propane
  • Never leave a lit grill unattended and never move a lit barbecue
  • Only use propane and charcoal BBQs outdoors
Did you know? 

Grilling in the garage with the door open does not allow for enough ventilation and could cause an accumulation of carbon monoxide.

Charcoal BBQ
  • Never use gasoline to get a charcoal BBQ started 
    • Use charcoal lighting fluid or solid fuel starter, as per product manufacturer’s recommendations
  • Wait for at least 1 minute before lighting fluid-soaked coals in order for explosive vapours to dissipate
  • Never spray lighter fluid on hot coals 
  • Always extinguish the coals when you’ve finished barbecuing
    • Use oven mitts and tongs to submerge the coals in a metal pail of water
  • Always use the lid provided with charcoal barbecues

Note:
Solid-fuel barbecues are prohibited for apartment use.

Gas/Propane BBQ

If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call 911.
Do not move the grill. 

If the flame goes out, turn the grill and gas off then wait at least 5 minutes before re-lighting it.

Maintenance Tips

  • Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year by applying the soapy bubble test. Apply a light soap and water solution to the hose. A propane leak will release bubbles.
    • If your grill has a gas leak, by smell or the soapy bubble test, and there is no flame, turn off both the gas tank and the grill
    • If the leak stops, get the grill serviced by a professional before using it again
    • Call 911 for the fire department if the leak does not stop
  • Never check for leaks with an open flame
  • Make sure the burner holes and tubes connected to the burners are free of rust and debris, and that the burner throat (where the propane enters the burner), is free of dust or cobwebs
  • In order to prevent propane from getting trapped in the hose after each use, turn off the propane tank cylinder valve first, then the “ON/OFF” valve on the barbecue

Recreational Vehicles

  • Install and regularly test home safety equipment like smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms 
  • Stay in the kitchen area while you cook and keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop
  • Regularly check any appliances that use propane (such as refrigerators, furnaces, ovens and stovetops) for leaks
  • Get the propane system routinely inspected by a professional
  • Have an escape plan - always know at least 2 ways out 
  • Make sure windows can be easily opened 
  • Never leave camping heaters or lanterns on while sleeping
  • Keep a portable fire extinguisher nearby and only use it if the fire is small and can be contained 
  • Have your vehicle serviced by a qualified mechanic as many fires start in the engine area, running gear or wheel area

Fire Safety Resources

Fire Prevention Flip Book

Prevention and safety tips including smoke alarms, carbon monoxide, candles, cooking, smoker's material, fire pits, barbecues, home heating, fire safety for children, electrical and home fire escape planning.

Smoke Alarms Safety Sheet

Maintain your smoke alarms and know what to do if they sound!

Carbon Monoxide Checklist

Carbon Monoxide alarms saves lives.
Protect your home from carbon monoxide with this checklist from ATCO.

Home Fire Hazard Hunt

Gather your household and hunt for potential fire hazards around the home. Follow this checklist, make any corrections if needed, and keep your home safe from fire.

Contact Us

Fire Prevention Office

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm (Closed on weekends and statutory holidays)

Telephone 780-496-3628 (voicemail only)
Email fireprevention@edmonton.ca