While Winter signifies the arrival of the most wonderful time of the year, the season always comes with it’s dangers as well.
Thornhill Fire Department Captain Brent Dawe has some tips that the department likes to remind people of in order to make sure that they stay safe, and one of the most common tips involves vehicle preparation;
“Make sure that you got your winter tires on and that they’re in good condition for the roads. Also, take your time to get where you need to go.”
Some other tips saw them suggest to people that they should have a winter emergency kit in their vehicle, should they encounter trouble on the road and to make sure that someone knows where you’re headed if you’re going on a trip to another community.
But vehicles are not the only factor in winter safety as Dawe mentioned ways to remain safe in your own home as well;
“A lot of the issues everyone has is when we’re putting up those Christmas lights. Try and do it in Fall because once the snow is already flying, the ice that builds up on the roof just adds more risk. And before you put the Christmas lights up, make sure there’s no cracks or open wiring showing, that will prevent house fires.”
According to the department’s tests, completely dried out real Christmas trees can get completely engulfed in flames in about 30 seconds.
As a result, Dawe also emphasized having a fire extinguisher close by just in case and making sure that any real Christmas trees remain moisturized.
Some final tips that were mentioned included to make sure that your cables are protected, don’t leave portable heaters on and unattended, don’t put combustible materials near heat sources and make sure chimney stoves are cleaned before they get used.