Breaking News

Only Working Smoke Alarms Can Save Lives

Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg has a stark warning for everyone this Fire Prevention Week: “If your smoke alarms aren’t working, your chances of surviving a fire drop significantly.” With 85 lives already lost to fires in Ontario this year, Fire Marshal Pegg’s message is urgent—preventing further tragedy is everyone’s responsibility.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You!™,” is a rallying cry for every household in Ontario. The grim reality is that most fatal fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms.

On September 28, Ontario launched its second annual Test Your Smoke Alarm Day, a day focused on raising awareness of the importance of working smoke alarms. Residents across the province pledged to test their smoke alarms every month, showing their ongoing commitment to safeguarding their families and communities.

By law, every home in Ontario must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas.

Here’s what Ontarians need to do right now to keep themselves and their family fire safe:

  • Install smoke alarms outside each sleeping area and on every storey of their home, including the basement.
  • Test them monthly by pushing the test button. Don’t assume they work—know they do.
  • Replace smoke alarm batteries at least once a year.
  • Replace any alarm that is over 10 years old or does not respond during a test. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
  • Practice their escape plan so that in the event of a fire, everyone in the home knows exactly how to get out, safely.

“Too many lives have been lost because smoke alarms weren’t working when they were needed most,” said Fire Marshal Pegg. “Imagine waking up to a fire and having only seconds to escape—without a working smoke alarm, those seconds may never come. It breaks my heart to hear about families who do not make it out, especially knowing it could have been prevented with something as simple as having a working smoke alarm.”

Most fires happen at night when families are asleep. In many cases, victims never wake up. A working smoke alarm may be the only thing standing between being safe and tragedy.

“Every time you skip testing your smoke alarms, or delay replacing them, you put your life and your loved ones’ lives at risk,” Fire Marshal Pegg added.

To drive the point home, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is releasing a series of powerful social media videos this week.

Ontarians are encouraged to follow the OFM on X and Facebook, and visit ontario.ca/firemarshal for more information on how to help safeguard their homes and families.

Quick Facts:

  • For over 100 years, Fire Prevention Week (FPW) has been recognized across Canada and the United States to educate the public on the importance of fire prevention with tips, techniques, and strategies.
  • In 2023, 88% of fire-related deaths in Ontario occurred in homes, making unintentional residential fires the leading type of fire fatalities.
  • Most fire deaths in Ontario happen in homes with no working smoke alarms.

SOURCE Office of the Fire Marshal

This Media Release
Latest posts by This Media Release (see all)