CFB Shilo Emergency Service Firefighter Jay Storozuk displays a fire extinguisher nozzle during a controlled demonstrative blaze on Base Oct.11 as part of 2023 Fire Safety Week. Photo: K-J Millar/Shilo Stag News

K-J Millar
Shilo Stag News

Fire Department Emergency Services for CFB Shilo have been kept busy during National Fire Safety Week from Oct. 8 to 14, educating the public about kitchen and cooking safety.

Emergency Services encourages all Shilo residents to embrace the 2023 Fire Prevention Week theme.

“Cooking safety starts with you,” said Aaron Bull, fire chief for the Base. “A cooking fire can grow quickly. I have seen many homes damaged and people injured by fires that could easily have been prevented.”

CFB Shilo Emergency Services teamed up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to promote this year’s campaign and has been involved with an information display at the CANEX Mall, Fire Chief for a Day and visits to local schools and daycares.

The campaign educates everyone about simple but important actions they can take when cooking to keep themselves and those around them safe.

According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and deaths.

“Year after year, cooking remains the leading cause of home fires by far, accounting for half or 49 percent of all U.S. home fires,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at NFPA. “These numbers tell us that there is still much work to do when it comes to better educating the public about ways to stay safe when cooking.”

Chief Bull told the Shilo Stag News that he admires parents who teach their children to cook as it is an important skill. However, like with anything else, rules need to be set, he said, with the age of being allowed to cook at the parents’ discretion.

“When kids are 12, they can do the babysitting course and are considered more mature, more responsible. But, under 12, they should always be supervised,” he said of kids cooking activities in the kitchen.

The chief said it is significant to learn about fire safety and cooking from a young age.

“It’s a part of our mandate and our role as community helpers to educate our youth on the importance of fire safety.”

“Getting out there into the community, getting [the youth] to know our faces and what we do just builds that relationship at a young age. As well, makes them familiar with proper ways … of how we interact with fire, whether that be in the kitchen or around the campfire.”

Even with all of the education, too many injuries and too many deaths across the country occur each year, he said, with kitchen fires occurring on Base every year.

“Kitchen fires are the most common cause of fires in Canada currently,” Bull said, adding it is often due to inattention.

“… So we get distracted – the baby starts crying, we go give it a bottle, then start folding laundry and forget that we had something on, or we get distracted watching television or playing video games. Then something gets too hot and starts on fire.”

Shilo Emergency Services offers key safety tips to help reduce the risk of a cooking fire.

1. Watch what you heat. Always keep a close eye on what you are cooking. Set a timer to remind you that you are cooking.

2. Turn the pot handles toward the back of the stove. Always keep a lid nearby when cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan and turn off the burner.

3. Have a “kid- and pet-free zone” of at least one metre (three ft.) around the stove or grill and anywhere else hot food or drink is prepared or carried.

While Fire Safety Week brings the topic to the forefront of people’s minds, continued fire safety and prevention is vital because fires do happen on Base.

“We’re not immune from it here. In Shiloh, we have a number of people living on base and living in either the residential housing units (RHUs) or in the barracks.”

The fire chief said it’s important to be aware, pay attention and keep in mind about smoke detectors or that a family escape plan should be put in place.

“[Fire Safety Week] brings it into the center of our minds, especially with the holiday season here approaching quickly. we’re going to have family and friends over to celebrate, but you know, also making sure that we all have a fire extinguisher at home … it just helps us be prepared if a fire starts.”

To find out more about FPW programs and activities in CFB Shilo, please contact Shilo Emergency Services at 204-765-3000  ex 3178. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and cooking safety, visit www.fpw.org. For fire safety fun for kids, visit sparky.org.

More to come on FIRE SAFETY WEEK