Fire Prevention Week

Thank you for participating in Fire Prevention Week 2023. Check back in October 2024 for details about next year.

From Oct. 8 to 14, 2023, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service celebrated Fire Prevention Week. The theme, “Cooking safety starts with you. Pay attention to fire prevention,” worked to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe when cooking. Read the City’s public service announcement for vital fire safety tips.

Throughout the week, visit the City’s X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram accounts and read the City’s public service announcement for vital fire safety tips.

Did you know?

Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

Cooking safety tips

You can prevent most cooking fires and burns with these simple tips:

Stay in the kitchen while cooking. Turn off the stove if you have to step away, even for a moment.
Use a heat-resistant surface to cool down hot cookware.
Keep children and pets at least three feet (one metre) away from stove.
Turn pot/pan handles towards the back of the stove.
Have a working fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
Remove all items from the stovetop when you’re done cooking.
Ensure a pot cover is nearby to smother flames in the event of a fire.
If a fire starts in your oven, microwave or toaster oven, turn it off and leave the door shut until the fire is out and the appliance is cold.

In the event of a grease/oil fire:

turn off the stove.
smother the flames by completely covering the pot or pan with a large metal lid, cooking sheet or flat tray.
never use water to extinguish a grease/oil fire – water makes the fire spread.
don’t pick up the pot/pan – the flames can spread and burn you.
“stop, drop and roll” if your clothes catch fire.