City of Welland Kicks off Fire Prevention Week October 8

From October 8 to 14, the City of Welland recognizes Fire Prevention Week to help educate the community on fire safety and preparedness. This year's theme, as announced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is "Cooking Safety Starts With You: Pay Attention to Fire Prevention".

The campaign works to educate about the simple but important actions residents can employ when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

"The City of Welland's Fire and Emergency Services encourages all residents to learn more about fire safety, especially when cooking," said Michael Atkins, fire prevention officer. "Because cooking fires spread quickly, too many homes have been damaged, and easily preventable fires have injured people."

According to Statistics Canada, the leading cause of home fires is the result of cooking at home. While they account for 30 per cent of residential fires, cooking-oil fires account for half of all cooking-related fires.

In addition to their upcoming fire safety social media campaign, the Welland Fire and Emergency Services department kicked off Fire Safety Week, speaking with residents at Rona on Sunday. The department will also do a French presentation at Centre De Sante Communautaire Du Niagara on Thursday, October 12.

A recent Ontario study showed that residential fires have steadily decreased year-over-year, but residential still accounts for 74 per cent of structure loss.

Follow Welland's Fire and Emergency Services social media accounts during Fire Prevention Week for fire safety and cooking tips. To learn more about fire prevention programs and activities, please contact Welland's Fire and Emergency Services. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Michael Atkins
Fire Prevention Officer
905-735-1700 x2407
michael.atkins@welland.ca