Seasonal Safety Tips | City of Port Moody

Man flipping meat and vegetables on a grill

Summer Safety Tips

There’s nothing like outdoor grilling. It’s one of the most popular ways to cook food. But, a grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. They can be very hot, causing burn injuries. Follow these simple tips and you will be on the way to safe grilling.

Safety Tips

Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors.
The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area.
Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
Never leave your grill unattended.
Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it

Charcoal Grills

There are several ways to get the charcoal ready to use. Charcoal chimney starters allow you to start the charcoal using newspaper as a fuel.
If you use a starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire.
Keep charcoal fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources.
There are also electric charcoal starters, which do not use fire. Be sure to use an extension cord for outdoor use.
When you are finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container.

Propane Grills

Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year. 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. If the leak does not stop, call the fire department.
If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill.
If the flame goes out, turn the grill and gas off and wait at least 5 minutes before re-lighting it.

July is the peak month for grill fires.

Roughly half of the injuries involving grills are thermal burns.

Vacations and business travel make hotels and motels our home away from home. It is just as important to be prepared and know what you would do in a hotel/motel emergency as it is in your own home.

Be Safe When Travelling

Choose a hotel/motel that is protected by both smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system.
When you check in, ask the front desk what the fire alarm sounds like.
When you enter your room, review the escape plan posted in your room.
Take the time to find the exits and count the number of doors between your room and the exit. Make sure the exits are unlocked. If they are locked, report it to management right away.
Keep your room key by your bed and take it with you if there is a fire.
If the alarm sounds, leave right away, closing all doors behind you. Use the stairs - never use elevators during a fire.
If you must escape through smoke, get low and go under the smoke to your exit.

If you can't escape.....

SHUT off fans and air conditioners.

STUFF wet towels in the crack around the doors.

CALL 9-1-1 and let them know your location.

WAIT at the window and signal with a flashlight or light coloured clothing.

On average, one of every 13 hotels or motels reported a structure fire each year.

The majority of hotel fire deaths result from fires that started in the bedroom.

Cooking equipment is the leading cause of hotel/motel fires.

Motor homes, campers, and recreational vehicles are used for living and travelling. Each year, fires in them cause deaths, injuries, and millions of dollars in damages. Fires can start in the kitchen. They can start in the engine area. Sometimes the fires are electrical. With a few simple safety tips you can help prevent these fires from happening.

Safety Tips

Install smoke alarms. Make sure they work.
Stay in the kitchen while you cook. Keep anything that can catch fire away from the stovetop.
Only use one heat-producing appliance plugged into a receptacle outlet at a time. Major appliances should be plugged directly in a wall receptacle outlet.
Refrigerators, furnaces, ovens and stovetops use propane. Check them for leaks. Keep an updated gas leak detector on board.
Have your propane system inspected to make sure it still works properly.
Know two ways out. Make sure windows open easily.
Have everyone practice the home fire escape plan.
Do not keep camping heaters and lanterns on while sleeping.
Before setting up a campfire, make sure it is allowed.
If campfires are allowed, they need to be least 25 feet away from anything that can burn.
Have your vehicle serviced by a qualified mechanic.
Keep a portable fire extinguisher on board. Only adults who know how to operate it should use it. Only use it if the fire is small and can be contained. Make sure everyone else is leaving. Make sure someone is calling 9-1-1-.

Carbon Monoxide Awareness

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas. You cannot see it. You cannot taste it. You cannot smell it. CO poisoning can result from leaks in the exhaust. It can happen because of improper use of appliances. Sometimes CO comes from another vehicle. Make sure you have a working CO alarm.

When the vehicle is used as a structure, the most common area for these fires to start is the kitchen or cooking area. This is followed by the engine area, running gear, or wheel area. Check for safety inside and outside of the vehicle.

Fall Safety Tips

The kitchen is the heart of the home, especially at Thanksgiving. Kids love to be involved in holiday preparations. Safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home.

Safety Tips

Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stovetop so you can keep an eye on the food.
Stay in the home when cooking your turkey and check on it frequently.
Keep children away from the stove. The stove will be hot and kids should stay 3 feet away.
Make sure kids stay away from hot food and liquids. The steam or splash from vegetables, gravy or coffee could cause serious burns.
Keep the floor clear so you don't trip over kids, toys, pocketbooks or bags.
Keep knives out of reach of children.
Be sure electric cords from an electric knife, coffee maker, plate warmer or mixer are not dangling off the counter within easy reach of a child.
Keep matches and utility lighters out of the reach of children -- up high in a locked cabinet.
Never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
Make sure your smoke alarms are working. Test them by pushing the test button.

Did you know?

Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment.

Have activities that keep kids out of the kitchen during this busy time. Games, puzzles or books can keep them busy. Kids can get involved in Thanksgiving preparations with recipes that can be done outside the kitchen.

The greatest number of home cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving Day. Top cause is unattended equipment.

Keep children and pets away at all times.

Be Halloween Safe! Halloween is a fun, and spooky, time of the year for kids. Make trick-or-treating safe for your little monsters with a few easy safety tips.

Halloween Fire Safety Tips

When choosing a costume, stay away from long trailing fabric. If your child is wearing a mask, make sure the eye holes are large enough so he or she can see out.
Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting or glow sticks as part of their costume.
Dried flowers, cornstalks and crepe paper catch fire easily. Keep all decorations away from open flames and other heat sources like light bulbs and heaters.
Use battery-operated candles or glow-sticks in jack-o-lanterns. If you use a real candle, use extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside jack-o-lanterns, use long, fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.
Remember to keep exits clear of decorations, so nothing blocks escape routes.
Make sure all smoke alarms in the home are working.
Tell children to stay away from open flames including jack-o-lanterns with candles in them. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. (Have them practice, stopping immediately, dropping to the ground, covering their face with hands, and rolling over and over to put the flames out.)

Did you know?

Decorations are the first thing to ignite in 900 reported home fires each year. Two of every five of these fires were started by a candle.

Use flameless LED candles instead of candles to decorate the home and walkways.

Keep decorations away from flames and heat sources.

Provide children with flashlights to carry for lighting, or use glow sticks as part of their costume.

Winter Safety Tips

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.

Cook with Caution

Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don't use the stove or stovetop.
Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
Keep anything that can catch fire - oven mitts, wood utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains - away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...

On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it's completely cooled.
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep door closed.

If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire...

Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9-1-1 from outside the home.

Cooking and Kids: Have a "kid-free zone" of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

Fact: The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

Fact: Most cooking fires in the home involve the kitchen stove.

Candles may be pretty to look at but they are a cause of home fires - and home fire deaths. Remember, a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn.

Candle with Care

Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.

If you do burn candles, make sure that you ...

Use candle holders that are sturdy and won't tip over easily.
Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.
Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
Don't burn a candle all the way down - put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage. Never use candles.

Think about using flameless candles in your home. They look and smell like real candles.
Candles & Kids: Never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle. Keep matches and lighters up high and out of children's reach, in a locked cabinet.
Fact: December is the peak time of the year for home candle fires.
Fact: Roughly one-third of home candle fires start in the bedroom.
Fact: More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.

There is something about the winter months and curling up with a good book by the fireplace. But did you know that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths? With a few simple safety tips and precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening.

Be warm and safe this winter!

Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
Have a three-foot "kid free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
Never use your oven to heat your home.
Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

Heating equipment smarts

Install wood burning stoves following manufacturer's instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the home immediately and call 9-1-1.

Fact: Half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.

Spring Safety Tips

Cooking brings family and friends together, provides an outlet for creativity and can be relaxing. But did you know that cooking fires are the number one cause of home fires and home injuries? By following a few safety tips you can prevent these fires.

Cook with Caution

Be on alert! If you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol don't use the stove or stovetop.
Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you are cooking.
Keep anything that can catch fire - oven mitts, wood utensils, food packaging, towels or curtains - away from your stovetop.

If you have a small (grease) cooking fire and decide to fight the fire...

On the stovetop, smother the flames by sliding a lid over the pan and turning off the burner. Leave the pan covered until it's completely cooled.
For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep door closed.

If you have any doubt about fighting a small fire...

Just get out! When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
Call 9-1-1 from outside the home.

Cooking and Kids: Have a "kid-free zone" of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

Fact: The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.

Fact: Most cooking fires in the home involve the kitchen stove.

Candles may be pretty to look at but they are a cause of home fires - and home fire deaths. Remember, a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn.

Candle with Care

Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.

If you do burn candles, make sure that you ...

Use candle holders that are sturdy and won't tip over easily.
Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.
Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.
Don't burn a candle all the way down - put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.
Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.
Have flashlights and battery-powered lighting ready to use during a power outage. Never use candles.

Think about using flameless candles in your home. They look and smell like real candles.

Candles & Kids: Never leave a child alone in a room with a burning candle. Keep matches and lighters up high and out of children's reach, in a locked cabinet.

Fact: December is the peak time of the year for home candle fires.

Fact: Roughly one-third of home candle fires start in the bedroom.

Fact: More than half of all candle fires start when things that can burn are too close to the candle.

There is something about the winter months and curling up with a good book by the fireplace. But did you know that heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths? With a few simple safety tips and precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening.

Be warm and safe this winter!

Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
Have a three-foot "kid free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
Never use your oven to heat your home.
Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room. Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
Test smoke alarms at least once a month.

Heating equipment smarts

Install wood burning stoves following manufacturer's instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Install and maintain CO alarms to avoid the risk of CO poisoning. If you smell gas in your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave the home immediately and call 9-1-1.

Fact: Half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January and February.