Saint John Fire Department reminds residents about fire safety for Fire Prevention Week

The Saint John Fire Department (SJFD) is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) - the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years - to promote the 2023 fire safety and prevention campaign. This year's theme is "Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention," and runs from October 8-14.

The 2023 campaign aims to educate the public about simple but important actions they can take when cooking, to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to the NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in Canada and unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

The Saint John Fire Department offers these key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire:

• Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking and set a timer to remind you that you have something on the stove.
• Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.
• Have a child and pet free zone of at least three feet around the stove or barbeque and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities visit www.fpw.org.

For fire safety fun for kids, visit www.sparky.org

For more tips on fire safety, visit The City of Saint John's Fire Safety and Prevention page.