By Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

Changing of season brings fire prevention tips

Oct 24, 2016 | 5:53 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Along with falling leaves and closing baseball season, fire protection maintenance is another fall and winter staple.

Mark Hoveling, Lethbridge fire prevention officer, said that apart from checking smoke detectors and ensuring that carbon monoxide detectors are changed every five to seven years, there are several simple steps to take to protect your home.

“For those with wood burning fireplaces, chimneys should be cleaned out for creosote once a year, you should only burn dry clean wood and dispose of ashes in a metal container with a lid.”

“A good practice to reduce the chance of carbon monoxide and the chance of a fire in your house is to ensure all of your gas powered appliances have at least a meter of room to breathe.”

Hoveling also suggested checking replacing a furnace filter once every winter and practicing good outdoor housekeeping.

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“Make sure your back alley doesn’t have a couch or leafs or anything that could catch on fire. Barbecues should be cleaned and free of grease, but you can keep the propane tank attached.”

He also noted that fire crews have noticed with more individuals smoking outside of their home, there is a problem with the public flicking their cigarette buts onto the ground.

Again this circles back to practicing good waste management by using a metal container for all ashes.

For more fire prevention tips visit: http://www.fiprecan.ca/fire-prevention-fact-sheets/.