Fire Prevention

Contact the Fire Department if you notice:

• Missing or blocked fire exits
• Faulty or non-working smoke/CO alarms
• Unsafe storage of combustibles
• Open burning concerns
• Fire safety issues in rental or commercial properties
• Any condition you believe could put people at risk

You can report an issue in two easy ways:

1. Online Submission

Use our online Report a Concern Portal and when asked on what you would like to report, select ‘Fire Safety Concern’. Simply fill out the information requested, and your details will be provided to our department.

2. Contact us Directly

Call the Fire Department at 705-538-2337 to speak with a member of our department about your concern.

If this is an immediate concern to life safety, please dial 9-1-1.

Once we receive your concern, staff will:

• Review the information provided
• Contact you if additional details are needed
• Conduct an inspection or follow up with the property owner
• Take steps to resolve the concern

PLEASE NOTE: The Township does not accept anonymous complaints.

This information allows our team to clarify details if needed and ensures every complaint is handled accurately and fairly.

A home safety audit aims to identify fire hazards and safety risks so they can be corrected before they lead to an emergency. It ensures your home is properly protected, compliant with fire codes, and prepared for safe evacuation.

A Home Fire Safety Audit could include the following:

• Identify potential fire hazards
• Reduce risk of accidents and injuries
• Ensure compliance with the Ontario Fire Code
• Check alarms and fire safety devices
• Review and practice emergency escape plans
• Provide expert safety recommendations

Keep your home safe, protected, and prepared — book today!

A quick audit can dramatically reduce the risk of fire or injury, ensure your home meets Ontario fire safety standards, and provide peace of mind for you and your family.

Don’t wait to book! Our team will arrange a convenient time and provide next steps before the visit.

Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep. Often, victims never wake up. Working smoke alarms give you the precious time you need to escape a fire.

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

Minimize your risk by following these instructions:

• Install a smoke alarm outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home.
• Test the alarm and change its batteries twice per year.
• Make sure your smoke alarms have the Underwrites Laboratories of Canada (ULC) stamp of approval on the product.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for testing and cleaning the smoke alarm.
• Replace all smoke alarms over 10-years-old.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a dangerous gas that is invisible, odorless, and tasteless, making alarms the only way to detect it. Carbon monoxide alarms are just as important as smoke alarms and provide early warning of a serious hazard, even when there is no fire.

Starting January 1, 2026, changes to the Ontario Fire Code require additional carbon monoxide alarms in homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages. These updates are being made across the province to improve household safety and prevent incidents caused by carbon monoxide exposure.

The new regulations require:

• A carbon monoxide alarm adjacent to every sleeping area in your home; and
• A carbon monoxide alarm on every storey that does not contain a sleeping area (for example, a main floor or basement).

These requirements apply to all residential occupancies, including existing homes. Even if your home already has a CO alarm, you may need to add more to comply with the updated Fire Code.

• Start by drawing a floor plan of your home, showing all windows and doors. If you like, you can use the template from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs.
• Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes.
• Plan two ways out of every room – the door should be your first option and the second could be a window.
• Consider people's physical limitations when making your plan.
• Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbour's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.
• Discuss the plan with everyone in your home.
• When you walk through your plan, make sure all windows can open easily and that doors and windows with security bars have a quick-release device that everyone can use.
• If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency.

We practice so many things in our lives, including fire drills at work and in schools, but very few people do home fire drills. Doing a fire drill is the only way that you are going to know that everyone knows your plan, and that it works.

• Practice your home fire drill at night and during the day with everyone in your home, twice a year.
• Practice using different ways out.
• Teach children how to escape on their own in case you can’t help them

If a fire occurs, it is time to put your plan in to action! Use the following steps to get to safety:

• Exit the building right away when there's a fire and if it is necessary to go through smoke, get down on your knees to crawl.
• Close doors behind you as you leave a room to slow the spread of the fire.
• Go to your meeting place to meet your family.
• Never go back inside a burning building - once out, stay out and call 9-1-1 from the nearest phone.
• Give the 9-1-1 operator your address and let them know if you think anyone is trapped inside the building.