Oak Bay Fire Department  
1703 Monterey Avenue, Oak Bay B.C. V8R 5V6 (250) 592-9121 
Email:  obfire@oakbay.ca        Fax:  (250) 598-2749

News Release

Date: November 9, 2015                                                           OBFD file # 2015-44

For Immediate Release:

Weekly Media Release for the period of Monday, November 2, 2015 to Sunday, November 8, 2015.  Over the past week, Oak Bay Fire Department members responded to 29 calls for assistance.

These calls for assistance included:

16 – Medical Aid 
  3 – Residential / Commercial Alarm Bells 
  3 – Public Assistance 
  1 – Hazmat
  1 – Electrical Hazard
  2 – Natural Gas Incident
  3 – Smoke in a Structure

Fire Safety Tips

Winter time is the time to fire up the fireplaces, turn on the furnace, and get that space heater out of storage. This can increase the risk of residential fire, so follow the safety tips below when heating your home during the holidays.

Fireplaces

• Inspect your chimney regularly for cracks and obstructions.
• Don't let creosote build up in your chimney, as it could set off a roof fire.
• Don't "over build" your fire using too much paper. You could ignite the soot in your chimney.
• Never burn charcoal in your fireplace. It gives off deadly carbon monoxide.
• Keep your damper open if there are hot ashes in your fireplace. Closing the damper could enable hot ashes to heat up and cause a damaging fire.
• Let ashes cool in a sealed metal container.

Furnaces

• Before you turn on your furnace, have it inspected by a qualified professional.
• Make sure to check the condition of the automatic controls and emergency shutoffs.
• If the walls and ceiling around your furnace feel too, add insulation or additional clearance space.
• Keep all trash and combustibles away from the furnace.
• Check your chimney for cracks or loose bricks.
• Seal all unused flue openings with solid masonry.

Space Heaters

• Make sure your space heater has a working safety light, alarm, automatic shut-off switch, and a cut-off device to prevent overheating.
• Keep all objects, people and pets at least three feet away from the heater.
• Never use a space heater in your bathroom. Water and electric appliances don't mix.

For more information please contact the Oak Bay Fire Department 250-592-9121.