Enjoy a safe long weekend with tips from VFRS

Heading to the cottage for the long weekend? Lighting up the barbecue for friends and family? Whatever your Labour Day plans, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) is reminding everyone to keep fire safety top of mind.

When cooking, remember these important safety tips:

• Stay in the kitchen. If you must step away from the stove, turn it off and wait for it to cool down. Remove all items from the stovetop when you are finished cooking.

• Avoid all distractions and focus on the task in front of you.

• Avoid wearing loose-fitting clothing while cooking as it can catch on fire. 

• Keep flammable items – like oven mitts, cooking utensils, dish cloths, paper towels and potholders – a safe distance from the stove.

• Keep pets and young kids away from the stove and turn pot handles away from the stove's edge to avoid them being knocked over accidentally.

• Use a heat-resistant surface to cool down hot cookware.

• Keep a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

• Ensure your home has working smoke alarms and test all alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button.

• Never disable a smoke alarm — even if it's triggered by cooking. Instead, open a window or use a fan to clear the air.

• Develop a home escape plan so everyone in your household knows what to do if an emergency occurs.

In case of a grease or oil fire, smother the flames by completely covering the pan or deep fryer with a large metal lid, cooking sheet or flat tray. Never use water to put out a grease or oil fire – it will cause the fire to spread.

Barbecues

When barbecuing, keep these safety tips top of mind:

• Use barbecues outdoors only. They produce carbon monoxide (CO) – a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas that can be fatal in an enclosed space. 

• Ensure all burner ports are free of rust, dirt or cobwebs. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to ensure there are no obstructions before lighting the burners.

• Check hose and cylinder connections to make sure they are in good working condition. To look for leaks, brush a mixture of 50 per cent soap and 50 per cent water onto all hoses and connections – then, look for bubbles. Replace, repair or tighten any connections until the bubbles are gone. 

• Never use a match or lighter to check for leaks of combustible substances.

• Clean out grease traps and keep grill areas free of any debris.

• Place your barbecue in a safe area away from combustible materials, buildings and fences. Radiant heat from a barbecue can damage siding on the exterior of a home or shed.

• Always light a barbecue with the lid open. If the burner does not ignite, keep the lid open, turn off the gas and wait five minutes before trying again.

When cooking with charcoal grills, only use charcoal briquettes (a compressed chunk of coal dust or charcoal) explicitly designed for that purpose. To ignite, sprinkle the briquettes with charcoal lighter fluid and allow it to soak in for approximately 10 minutes. Never add fluid after igniting the barbecue and never use gasoline to light a barbecue.

Outdoor fireplaces, chimineas and fuel-burning appliances

• Apply for a fire burn permit for all open-air burning in Vaughan. Chimineas and enclosed fires do not require a permit.

• Store combustible material and flammable liquids away from all fuel-burning appliances.

• Maintain a minimum of three metres between the fireplace and combustible objects and surfaces. Use appropriate insulation material, such as a metal or stone fire pit pad, under the unit. 

• Remove debris from all chimneys and vents, and check the unit regularly for cracks or other physical deterioration.

• Burn clean, dry firewood only and limit the amount of firewood burning to ensure the flames are confined to the unit and do not extend into the chimney. 

Constantly supervise the fire unit when in use and follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions. Keep a method of fire snuffing (e.g., a fire extinguisher, pail of water, garden hose) nearby in case it’s needed, and avoid using an outdoor fireplace on windy days.

For more information and fire safety tips, visit vaughan.ca/fire. You can also visit the City of Vaughan’s YouTube channel to watch a kitchen safety video from VFRS.

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