MONTREAL -- As daylight time approaches, on the night of March 13 to 14 this weekend, fire departments are reminding citizens that it is the right time to check that their smoke alarms are working properly, particularly now when many people are working from home.
The Montreal Fire Department (SSIM) reported that over the past year, there was an 11 per cent increase in residential fires on the Island of Montreal: 1,336 fires in 2020 compared to 1,204 in 2019.
According to firefighters, this increase is attributable in particular to confinement and teleworking, which have forced people to spend a lot of time at home.
Data compiled by the Ministry of Public Security reveals that nearly 50 per cent of residential fires are related to distraction or human error.
Fire departments point out that a working smoke alarm is compulsory and plays an essential role in the prevention of deaths and injuries by fire.
The SSIM is also taking advantage of the time change to issue some advice about alarms.
They should not be near cooking appliances, dusty places, bathrooms or fans so that there are no nuisance alarms or interference with operation. It is recommended to clean them by lightly vacuuming the outside of the housing.
Never paint alarms or cover them with other materials.
Since June 20, 2019, a by-law has asked citizens of the city of Montreal who live in a residential building built before 1985 to equip themselves with smoke alarms with a 10-year long-lasting non-removable lithium battery.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2021.
