Summer is the season for brush fires, but for fall and winter, fire dangers are closer to home.
Colwood Fire Rescue is raising the alarm that homes need working smoke alarms, especially as homeowners start lighting up fireplaces during those cool winter nights.
“We are heading into our busiest time of year for the fire department,” said Colwood fire inspector Capt. John Cassidy. “There are a lot more callouts for chimney fires as people heat their homes with wood.”
Typically, if people don’t keep their chimney clean, creosote deposits within the smoke stack can ignite and burn, and in cases spread into the roof of a home.
“Some chimney fires you can hear tinkling, like bells, as the creosote hits the damper,” Cassidy said. “Some roar like a jet engine.”
With the help of Thrifty Foods, the new Red Barn Market at Latoria Walk in Colwood and London Drugs, Colwood Fire Rescue gave away 500 red reusable shopping bags to promote fire safety and to remind people of the importance of having working smoke alarms. Fire prevention week is in October, but Cassidy said its message deserves attention year-round.
“We’re always trying to get the message out in different ways,” he said. “Giving out 500 bags as been successful. We’ll definitely redo this one.”