Windsor Fire Chief Urges Battery Checks After Fatal Apartment Fire
Officials advise residents to replace smoke alarm batteries when clocks change back on November 1, following the deaths of two people in a recent residential fire.
By Amelia Foster ·
Residents in Windsor are advised to replace the batteries in their smoke alarms when they turn their clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1. The Windsor Fire and Rescue Service is using the transition to Standard Time as a prompt to ensure household safety devices are fully operational.
The reminder follows an early morning fire on Sunday, October 18, at the Dorchester Apartments in the 2500 block of Lauzon Road near Tecumseh Road East. Two people died in that incident, and several others were injured. Chief Fire Prevention Officer John Smith noted that sleeping areas in houses and apartment buildings often lack working smoke alarms, which can provide critical early detection for evacuation.
Smith emphasized the importance of audible alerts for those with hearing impairments. He referenced the October fire, noting that one survivor was in a bedroom with a closed door but did not hear the alarm activate. He recommended that tenants and homeowners inform property owners of any hearing issues so that alarms with additional detection measures can be installed.
Smith stated that while fires and accidents are inevitable, a functioning smoke alarm provides a better chance of vacating a home safely. He expressed a desire to inspect every home in Windsor to verify that alarms are working, aiming to prevent situations where individuals are trapped during a blaze.
The fire department is also observing Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week from November 1 to November 7. Officials are asking residents to recognize carbon monoxide as a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. Symptoms of exposure include headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse, and loss of consciousness.
Ontario law requires carbon monoxide alarms to be installed outside all sleeping areas in homes that have a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage. Residents are urged to test these detectors to confirm they function correctly during the awareness week.
Source: CKLW
