Every second counts. Working smoke alarms save lives.

Clarington, Ontario – A smoke alarm alerted a Courtice resident last night to a fire in the house. The occupant was able to leave safely and call for help – smoke alarms save lives, make sure yours is working.

Clarington Emergency and Fire Services arrived on the scene of a fully engulfed bungalow late yesterday. The emergency call came in at 7:23 p.m. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The homeowner was able to get out safely and was assessed by EMS.

A total of five trucks and more than 20 firefighters were involved in extinguishing the stubborn fire. More crews were called in to provide backup and relief to those working on scene. Crews remained overnight, working on hot spots and ensuring the fire was fully extinguished. Unfortunately, the house is a total loss. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined. The snow accumulation and depth in the ditches posed a challenge for crews with reaching the property.

“Already this year, our crews have responded to five structure fires. With this latest fire in Courtice, we were able to tactically perform an aggressive attack because the homeowner was safe. There’s no doubt that smoke alarms are key to detecting fire early. They save lives. They protect your family by providing advance warning of smoke and fire in your home so that you have time to escape safely,” said Fire Chief Mariano Perini.

Earlier this month, Clarington fire crews fought a fire in Bowmanville that originated in the kitchen. The fire on January 13 was discovered by a resident who arrived home after work to find their smoke alarms sounding and a fire in their kitchen. Five trucks and 21 firefighters were on scene, and crews were able to control the fire quickly. The cause of the fire is believed to be electrical. In a separate fire on January 11, crews responded to a Quonset structure fire in Newcastle. Four fire stations were activated, and a total of eight trucks and 30 firefighters responded to the call. No injuries were reported in either fire.

“It’s important that we are aware and take every precaution to keep our loved ones, pets and homes safe. Every home must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. It’s the law. Test your alarms each month to ensure they’re working and change the batteries in the spring and fall,” added Chief Perini.

Be prepared

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), you may only have ‘as little as one or two minutes to escape safely once the smoke alarm sounds.’ Clarington Emergency and Fire Services urges every household to create a home escape plan and practise it regularly. Fire safety begins with you.

Find more fire safety tips at www.clarington.net/FireSafety.

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Media inquiries:
Municipality of Clarington
Leanne Walker
Communications Specialist
905-623-3379 ext. 2217 or lwalker@clarington.net