News

October 1/2011

Fire Permits are now available from the Fire Hall.

Beginning 2011 all Fire Permits must be obtained from the Fire Hall.

 

This is to simplify administration of burn permits and to reduce staff time required to process and verify permits

 

For More Information, Contact the Fire Chief: 250-539-5156 or email: mifd@shaw.ca

Fire Prevention and Education...

 

...is the number one method of stopping fires before they start

previously published fire prevention articles here

  

Mayne Island Fire Rescue is committed to working within and with its’ community to develop and deliver fire and life safety education programs.

 
The objective of these programs is to teach the members of our community how to prevent and how to protect themselves from hazards, with a special focus on fire prevention and life safety.  

Dryer Fires and How to Prevent Them

In most homes, the clothes dryer has become an indispensable part of family living. And for families with children, laundry often seems never-ending. But, many families don’t know that clothes dryers can be a leading cause of fires in the home – approximately 15,000 every year. Once you install a dryer in your home, a little preventative maintenance can keep it in good working order.

What causes fires?

One of the most common causes of dryer fires is lack of maintenance. When lint traps aren’t cleaned as often as they should be, the resulting build-up in the screen or other areas can cause the dryer to perform poorly, operate at elevated temperatures and possibly overheat – with dangerous consequences. Vent systems must also be checked and cleaned to maintain proper air flow for the same reasons.

Problems may also occur if consumers place improper items in their dryers, such as foam backed rugs or athletic shoes, or vent their appliances with plastic or vinyl exhaust materials. Make sure that whatever you put in your dryer is approved and safe to place in a dryer. When in doubt, check the washing instructions on the tag of the clothing or consult the manufacturers website for more information.

What can you do?

An important safeguard your family can take is to ensure that your dryer has rigid or flexible metal venting and ducting materials to help sustain airflow. This will also reduce operating costs and extend the life of the dryer and clothing due to lower drying temperatures.

Additionally:

  • Clean the lint trap before and after drying each load of clothes.
  • Don’t forget to clean the back of the dryer where lint can be trapped.
  • The interior of the dryer and venting system should be cleaned periodically by qualified service personnel. If you notice the drying time is longer, clean the vent system thoroughly to ensure proper airflow.
  • Replace plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses with rigid or flexible metal venting.
  • Do not dry clothing/fabric on which there is anything flammable (alcohol, cooking oils, gasoline, spot removers, dry-cleaning solvents, etc.). Flammable substances give off vapors that could ignite or explode.
  • Remember to read manufacturers’ warnings in use and care manuals that accompany new dryers. Also, warning markings can usually be found on the inside of the dryer’s lid and take only minutes to read.

Did you know that?

  • Clothes dryers can be found in 80 percent, or 81.5 million homes throughout the United States.
  • A full load of wet clothes placed in a dryer contains about one half gallon of water. As water is removed, lint is created from the clothes.
  • Clothes dryers are one of the most expensive appliances in your home to operate. The longer it runs, the more money it costs you.
  • The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that 15,500 fires associated with clothes dryers occur annually. These fires account for an average of 10 deaths and 310 injuries and more than $84.4 million in property damage annually.
  • On a positive note, the number of clothes dryer fires has dropped by 35 percent from the 24,000 fires that occurred annually, on average, in the late 1970s.
  

Download your personal copy of the Home Owners
FireSmart Manual - Protect your home from wildfire.

  

Mayne Island Fire Rescue Public Education Program features a variety of free information sessions and events, including:

  • Fire extinguisher training,
  • Fire safety sessions, and
  • fire hall tours & more...

If you would like to arrange a fire safety session/fire hall tour for your organization, please contact:

Mayne Island Fire Rescue
Phone:  250-539 5156

  
     
Babysitter's Fire Safety Guide

As the babysitter, you are responsible for the children in your care. There are some important points you need to know if there's a fire emergency in the home where you babysit. Download and print this Babysitter's Fire Safety Guide provided by Fire Prevention Canada. Keep this information in your pocket at all times when you're babysitting in case of an emergency.

     
Many more fact sheets and information is available online at Fire Prevention Canada.
Fact sheets contain valuable fire/safety educational material that can be downloaded/printed and used as handouts for yourself, school children, seniors, friends and family. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the material because it will prevent fires and save lives. Send the link to others, so they too can educate themselves and take the preventative steps necessary to protect their homes and their loved ones. Each fact sheet comes with its own individual PDF, and we’ve created a PDF that contains all of the facts sheets on this site for your convenience.
 

Creating and Practicing your home fire drill could save your life.
 

Please take a few minutes to watch this short news clip ANews aired October 6th 2010.

 

 

Exit Drills In The Home (E.D.I.T.H.)


Plan your Escape
Family members should discuss what to do in case of a fire. A step-by-step plan is essential to ensure a safe escape.

 

Know two ways out
Draw a floor plan of your home; include the location of doors, windows and large furniture. Identify two ways out of every room, especially bedrooms. Doors are the primary exit and windows are the secondary ways of exit. Make sure all family members know how to unlock all locks, and quickly open all windows and doors.  

 

Choose a meeting place
Have a safe meeting place for everyone to meet. Make sure someone is assigned to call 9-1-1 from a neighbor’s house or a pay phone.

 

Get out fast
Exit as quickly as possible. If it’s smoky, get down low, and stay low. Crawl as quickly as possible. Once outside, go to the family meeting place.

 

If trapped inside
Put closed doors between people and smoke. Stuff cracks and cover vents to keep smoke out. Wait at the window and signal with a flashlight or a sheet.

 

If a dwelling has more than one level above ground, we recommend the use of a portable escape ladder in an emergency evacuation. If a portable ladder is not available, hang a pillowcase, sheet, or shirt out of the window to flag the rescuers. Do not jump unless there is immediate danger of being burned or overcome by smoke, and no rescuer is in sight. Make special arrangements for small children and people with disabilities.

 

Do not go back inside!
Make sure everyone in the family understands the importance of not going back inside a burning building for any reason. Someone who goes back in may not come back out.

 

Practice the plan
Practice E.D.I.T.H. (Exit Drills In The Home) at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be a monitor and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race. Get out quickly, but carefully.

 

Most fatal fires occur at night when everyone is asleep, so everyone should start the drill in his/her bedroom. Close the door and wait for the monitor to sound the alarm.

 

Practice crawling fast and staying low to escape smoke. Smoke rises while clean air stays low near the floor, so get down on your knees and crawl, maintaining contact with the walls while heading to the nearest exit.

 

Test the door using the back of your hands. In a real fire, if hot, take your second way out. If the second exit is not an option, brace a shoulder against the door and open it carefully, being ready to close it quickly if heat or smoke rush in.

 

Get out fast and go to the meeting place, where the monitor will then take a head count and review the drill, discussing any problems with escape routes.

 

Play it Safe

Install smoke alarms – it’s the law. The early warning of a working smoke alarm provides crucial seconds that can save lives!
 

Information on protecting your home in the event of a interface fire is available from Office of the Fire Commissioner and the Forest Protection Branch or click on the direct links below.
 

Prepare for Wildfires

Wildfires are unpredictable, but you can take steps to create defensible space around your home to reduce an approaching wildfire's volatility. Take a wildfire safety quiz, assess your home's structural and site hazards, and learn the steps you can take to reduce your home's succeptibility to fire.

Download the Home Owners FireSmart Manual

Complete a Structure and Site Hazard Assessment on your property