According to Fire Prevention Canada, winter is the worst season for residential fires in Canada. To help keep you safe this season, Centre Wellington (CW) Fire Rescue are sharing some winter safety tips.

As the temperatures start to really drop and the cold days set in, some of us may opt to plug in our portable heater to keep ourselves warm.

Brad Patton, CW Fire Chief said people need to understand that portable heaters are a temporary heater, they are not meant to be plugged in 24/7 for days at a time in a room.

“If you’re going to be using a portable heater, we ask that you make sure that it’s kept a couple metres away from anything combustible, and that you’re present while the heater is on in the room,” Patton said. “So, if there’s any problems it can be unplugged, or turned off, or something to that effect.”

Patton said they do attend a few fires calls every year that are caused by portable heaters, and they ask people to very cautious when using them.

Winter is also a peak time for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning as more people start to use their fuel burning devices.

Patton said a problem that they have in the winter time is snow and ice accumulation around the furnace vents outside people’s homes.

“It’s very easy for your exhaust vents of your hot water heater, or your furnace to get plugged or obstructed, and then we get large amount of CO build up in the house, which can be very dangerous,” he said.

Patton said hopefully everybody has, as they are required by law to have, a working CO detector in their home.

He said that CO is an odorless, tasteless gas, that can make you very tired, and it’s difficult for people to detect.

Winter driving conditions is also something people should be prepared for, just in case of an emergency.

Patton said the number one thing they ask people to have in their vehicles, is a fully charged cell phone.

“Keeping your cell phone charged anytime that you are out in your car, or going out for walks and things in the wintertime, where it can be icy and people [can] slip, that’s really one of the most important things because it can initiate a 911 service, and ensure that help is on the way,” Patton said.

Patton said other things that he keeps in his own car are some spare blankets, a little bit of candy, and a working flashlight.

Brad Patton, Centre Wellington Fire chief: