Churchbridge Fire Rescue

Controlled Burns

Sometimes you will need to burn grass, bush piles or stubble. Please be sure you are well-prepared and that you have fire guards in place. These "controlled burns" should also be reported to avoid dispatching firefighters unnecessarily.

Report a controlled burn from anywhere in the province by calling 1-866-404-4911. The number is answered 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

You will be asked the following questions:

What is your land location?
What is your RM number?
Who is your Fire Service Provider?
What are the location details?
What are you burning?
How long will your burn last?
Your name and phone number

You will be asked to call back once the burn has been completed.

Visit the Government of Saskatchewan website to learn more

Controlled Burns

Escape Plan

Escape Plans

When a fire breaks out, there is no time for planning. Sit down with your family today to make a plan to escape. Here are guidelines to follow when making a escape plan:

Always know two ways out! Draw a diagram of your home, showing every door and window. Plan two ways out of every room, especially the bedrooms. Then walk through each escape route, looking for possible barriers or obstructions. Make sure everyone can open all locks, doors, and windows quickly, even in the dark.

In a two story house, you may have to escape from second floor. Make sure to have a safe way to the ground.

Get out, and stay out! Do not stop for posessions or pets. Just get out and call the fire department from a neighbors house. Do not go back in the house for any reason. If people are trapper, firefighters will have the best chance to rescue them

Have a meeting place. Choose a safe meeting place and make sure everyone knows where it is

Practice Your Plan

At least twice a year, have a drill in your home. The majority of fatal fires occur when people are sleeping, so be sure to practice your plan starting from your bedroom
Make your drill as realistic as possible and practice both escape routes. Pretend that certain exits are blocked by fire, that there are no lights, and that the hallways are filling with smoke.
Remember, a fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully!
Practice checking and opening doors but feeling the door and door know with the back of your hand. If it feels hot, use your second escape route.
If the the door feels cool, open the door slowly, but be prepared to close it quickly if smoke or fire rushes in
Be sure to close every door you use. This can slow the spread of fire.
Smoke contains deadly gases and is hot, so it will fill a room from the top down. If you encounter smoke in your primary escape route, use your second escape route. But if you must go through smoke, the best air will be serveral inches of the floor. Get on your hands and knees and crawl quickly to the exit.
If you become trapped, close doors between you and the fire. To keep smoke out, stuff the cracks around doors and cover vents with blackets or towels. Stay by a window and signal for help with a flashlight or towel. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and tell them your exact location in the house.

3 minute drill is a great online fire prevention resource.

REMEMBER, EVERYONE MUST ACT QUICKLY. DO NOT DELAY YOUR ESCAPE! YOU WILL NOT GET A SECOND CHANCE!

GET OUT AND STAY OUT! - Never go back into a burning building

Kitchen Safety

Cooking Oil Safety

Kitchen fires due to cooking oil or grease igniting into flames cause the fastest-spreading and most destructive type of residential fire. When cooking with grease or oil, it is extremely important that you plan ahead so that you will know how to react fast to fire.

Here are some tips:

Always Keep a pan lid or cookie sheet handy. If the grease or oil catches fire, the lid should be slid over the top of the pan to smother the fire.

Never attempt to move a flaming pot or pan. The movement can fan the flames or cause you to spill the burning oil and spread the fire. The pan will also likely be very hot, which may cause you to drop it. Either way, you are placing yourself at great risk. Your immediate action should be to smother the fire by sliding a lid or flat cookie sheet over the pan. If its safe, turn off the heat and exhaust the fan, allowing the pan time to cool. Most importantly, react fast, because grease fires spread very quickly.

Oven Cooking

- Ensure your oven is clean. A grease fire can easily ignite in the high oven temperatures
- Follow the cooking instructions for the recipe you are using
- Always wear oven mitts when removing containers from an oven
- When using a broiler, ensure the rack is far enough away from the element to prevent a fire. Ensure that you have a pan beneath the broiler rack to catch any drippings. Never use aluminum foil as a drip catch, as it may spill over and catch fire

Microwave Cooking

- Heating containers can become very hot. Be sure to wear oven mitts when removing hot items.
- Heating liquids can be very dangerous. Liquids could be at boiling tempuratures and not be bubbling
- Many microwaves are mounted above stoves or at a higher levels in the kitchen. Be careful not to spill hot food or liquids when removing them from the high mounted microwaves
- Do not use foil or other metal objects in the microwave
- If a fire occurs, keep the door closed and unplug the unit

Smoke Alarms

How They Help?

The majority of fatal home fires happen at night when people are asleep. Contrary to popular belief, the smell of smoke may not wake a sleeping person. The poisonous gases and smoke produced by a fire can numb the senses quickly and put you into a deeper sleep. By sounding an alarm, and alerting you to fire in time to escape, an inexpensive household smoke detector can increase your chances of surviving a residential fire by 50%.

Where to Install?

Because smoke rises, install smoke detectors high on a wall or ceilings. Wall mounted units should be installed 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling, and ceiling mounted units should be installed at least 4 inches from the nearest wall. In rooms with high, pitched ceilings, mount the detector at the highest point possible. Install in open stairways (no doors at either the top or bottom), at the bottom of closed stairways, outside and inside of bedrooms. Do not install smoke detectors near a window, door, or forced air register where drafts could interfere with the detectors operation.

Maintenance

Test your smoke detector monthly and change the batteries at least once a year. Many battery powered detectors will "chirp" or make some audible noise when the batteries are low. Resist the urge to use the smoke detector batteries for other uses! Make sure to check if your detector has an expiry date. Be sure to replace your smoke detector if the date has passed.

Fire Extinuishers

Fire Extinguishers

The ABC's of Portable Fire Extinguishers

A fire extinguisher is a storage container for an agent like water or chemicals. It is designed to put out a small fire, not a large one. Extinguishers are labelled ABC or D. Be sure you use the right extinguisher for the appropriate type of fire.

A - Ordinary Combustibles are materials like paper, cloth, wood and upholstery
B - Flammable and Combustible liquid fires originating from oil, gasoline, paint, solvents, and other flammable liquids
C - Electrical Equipment include electrified sources such as fuse boxes, wires, electric motors
D - Certain metals such as magnesium and sodium require a special dry powder class D extinguisher

Using A Fire Extinguisher

Pull the pin
Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
Squeeze the handle
Sweep from side to side, discharging the contents at the base of the fire

Foam and water extinguishers require slightly different use. Be sure to read the instructions and understand how to use the extinguisher before you need it

Carbon Monoxide

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas. Because you can not see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes symptoms that can easily be mistaken for the flu. The symptoms include headache, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.

Where Does Carbon Monoxide Come From?

CO can come from several sources in your home. Such as gas appliances, BBQs, wood burning furnaces or fire places and vehicles

What Should I Do If My Carbon Monoxide Alarm Sounds?

If nobody feels ill:

Silence the alarm
Turn off gas appliances and sources of combusiton
Ventilate the house by opening doors and windows
Call a qualified professional to investigate the source of CO

If you feel ill:

Evacuate all occupants immediately
Determine how many people are ill
Call 911 and relay information to the dispatcher, including the number of people ill and their symptoms
Do not re-enter your home until it is deemed safe
Call a qualified professional to repair the source of CO

Protect Yourself and Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Install at least one CSA approved Carbon Monoxide detector in your home near the bedrooms
Never use a range or oven to heat your home
Never use natural gas, propane, charcoal barbeque grills inside your home or garage
Never keep your vehicle running in your garage, even with the doors open. Normal circulation will not provide enough fresh air to reliably prevent CO build up
Check chimneys and vents for blockages
Have a qualified professional inspect chimenys and vents yearly for blockages, cracks, holes or corrosion

Holiday Safety

Christmas Trees

Holiday Safety

Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched
If you have an artificial tree, be sure its fire retardant
Do not place trees near a heat source. (vents, fire places, etc.). The heat will dry out the tree causing it to be more easily ignited
Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit
Prior to placing the tree in water, cut at least a half an inch off of the bottom of the tree. Make sure to water the tree daily and ensure the water does not get below the bottom of the tree. If it the water gets below the bottom of the tree, cut another half an inch of the bottom, and refill the base with water
Dispose of the tree when it begins dropping needles. Dried out trees are a fire hazard and should not be left in the home, garage, or left outside leaning against the home

Christmas Lights

Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and excessive kinking or wear before putting them up.
Do not link more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe. Make sure to periodically check the wires - they should not be warm to the touch
Do not leave lights unattended

Candles

Make sure they are in safe, stable holders and are place where they will not be knocked over
Never leave the house with the candle burning
Never put lit candles on a tree

Turkey Fryer

Turkey Fryers

Turkey fryer hazards:

The pot can easily tip over, spilling the hot oil
If the cooking pot is overfilled with oil, the oil may spill out of the unit when the turkey is placed into the cooking pot. Oil may hit the burner or flames, causing a fire to engulf the entire unit.
Partially frozen turkeys placed into the fryer can cause a spillover effect. This too may result in an extensive fire.
With no thermostat controls, the units also have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion.
The lid and handles on the sides of the cooking pot get dangerously hot, posing severe burn hazards.

Important safety information

If you absolutely must use a turkey fryer, please use the following tips.

Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.
Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck.
Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If the fire is manageable, use your all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjUynq0HXdQ

Turkey fryer information and video is courtesy of UL.com and NFPA

At Risk Populations

Older Adults

Develop and practice a home fire escape plan using NFPA's home escape plan grid (PDF, 1.1 MB)

The two leading causes of fire deaths and injuries among older adults are smoking materials and the misuse of portable space heaters.

TIPS TO REMEMBER:

Smokers should have a designated area away from upholstered materials, such as the kitchen table.
Never smoke in bed while reading – it is too easy to fall asleep and print materials are highly flammable.
Sleep with the bedroom door closed in order to provide more time to escape if a fire occurs.
Keep space heaters well-ventilated and at least three feet away from flammable materials. Unplug space heaters when not in use.
Extension cords are for temporary use only and should not be used with a space heater or electric blanket.
Never run electrical cords under a carpet or rug.

SMOKE ALARMS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Smoke alarms are inexpensive and easy to install. For information on the location and installation of smoke alarms visit our Smoke Alarms fact sheet.

Ensure there is a working smoke alarm on every floor of the home and outside every sleeping area.
Have a friend or relative test your smoke alarm while you are asleep to ensure you can hear it.
Once a month, test the battery by pressing the test button.
Once a year, change the battery.
To clean the smoke alarm, open the cover and gently vacuum the unit with a soft brush attachment.
Replace smoke alarms if they are more than 10 years old.

FIRE ESCAPE PLANNING SAVES LIVES:

Develop and practice a fire escape plan. Be sure to include all hallways and stairs.
Know: (1) two ways out of every room (2) how to escape from all levels of your home.
Ensure all doors and windows can be unlocked or opened.

IN CASE OF FIRE – GET OUT AND STAY OUT – NEVER GO BACK INTO A BURNING BUILDING:

Crawl low near the floor to the nearest exit maintaining contact with the wall.
Test the door by feeling it with the back of your hand. If it is hot, do not open. Use an alternative route.
If the door and knob are cool, stay low with your shoulder against the door while opening slowly, turning your face away from the door as you open it. Be ready to close the door if smoke and heat rush in.
If trapped, put as many closed doors as possible between you and the fire, and seal all cracks in doors and windows with towels or bedding, wet towels or bedding if possible.
If your clothing catches fire, stop where you are, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands while rolling back-and-forth to put out the flames.
Cool minor burns with cold water.

Winter Safety

The winter season is the worst season for fires in Canada. That is why all Canadians must be mindful of the importance of fire prevention and safety. During the winter, we must heat our homes, most of our meals are prepared and eaten indoors, our clothing is dried indoors and people who smoke tend to do so indoors. Besides following the advice provided for in the other fact sheets on this site, for the winter remember that:

Heating appliances such as space heaters should not have anything combustible close by and need at least one metre (three feet) of space around them. Inspect the electrical cord attached. If it overheats, you have a fire hazard. Keep young children away from them.
Electrical and heating systems can fail and become fire hazards. Ensure they are regularly checked by a professional, especially prior to the winter season when fireplaces, heaters, appliances and other electrical equipment are in maximum use.
Smoking while in bed, tired or under the influence of alcohol or medication is the most common cause of fires that kill.
Most chimney fires occur with wood-burning fireplaces. Ensure chimneys are cleaned and professionally inspected regularly. Burn only small quantities of wood at a time.
Teach children that fire is not a toy; it is a tool we use to cook food and heat our homes.
Educate your children about the dangers of fire and make sure they know that all fires, even small ones, can spread very quickly.
Never use a flammable liquid near a flame or source of spark. Beware of hidden sources of sparks like water heater pilot lights, electric motors or heaters. Never smoke while pouring or using flammable liquids.
If even a small doubt exists about any appliance/equipment that you use, do not hesitate to contact a qualified technician. It may save your life, and the lives of your loved ones.

Fireplace Safety

A Fireplace becomes dangerous when accumulated tar or creosote catches fire or from uncontrolled burning or over-fuelling. Other causes of fireplace-related fires are substandard design or installation and lack of safety precautions.

Open the damper before lighting the fire, and keep it open until the ashes are cool enough to touch.
Ensure the fire is completely out before going to bed or leaving the house.
Do not store combustible materials such as paper or wood too close to the fireplace.
Use a screen in front of the fireplace opening to protect children and to prevent embers from escaping and igniting carpets, etc.
Never leave children alone near a fireplace.
Use dry, well-seasoned wood in small amounts.
Have chimneys cleaned and serviced at regular intervals by a professional.
Never overload your fireplace.
Never use charcoal starter fluids, gasoline or any flammable substance to start fires.
When using artificial logs, burn only one at a time and follow instructions on the wrapping.
Always place the ashes in a metal container and take them outside the house.

Smoke Kills

Hundreds of people die in residential fires in Canada every year. In many fires that have been extinguished in their early stages, people have been found dead of smoke inhalation without having suffered burns. It has been conservatively estimated that many of these lives could have been saved by the installation of properly functioning smoke alarms. Although these devices are no substitute for carefully planned fire prevention measures, they are invaluable to providing an early warning when fire strikes.

Smoke is the cause of the majority of fire-related deaths. Hot flames are low on the list of killers during a fire. A smouldering fire may go undetected for hours, especially while people are asleep. In addition to deadly carbon monoxide, smoke carries poisons such as hydrogen cyanide and irritants such as formaldehyde and acetic acid. Added to this lethal potion are other toxic substances that come from the burning of synthetic materials commonly found in the home, especially those emitted from plastics and foams. Oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and ammonia are just a few examples. These agents can have a lethal effect before a sleeper is even disturbed; especially when one considers that the fire itself consumes life-sustaining oxygen.

Normally, air is made-up of about 21 percent oxygen. When it falls below the 17 percent level, thinking and coordination become difficult. Below 16 percent, a person’s behaviour turns irrational, hindering escape efforts. Breathing becomes impossible when oxygen levels fall below 6 percent.

Super-heated air and gases rise quickly and produce what is known as a “hot” fire. Temperatures above 370°C (700°F) are common in a “hot” fire. At such high temperatures, unconsciousness and death can occur within minutes. Bedrooms located in the upper floors of residences are frequently subjected to these conditions in the advanced stages of a fire.

Fire Prevention Week

For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit www.fpw.org.

Camping Safety