CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC Oct. 4-10, 2020
October 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week, an opportunity to take the time to protect your home and family from the unthinkable. Shawville Fire Chief Lee Laframboise had some advice for the local population.
In the two municipalities served by the department, permits for open burning are only given out . . .
after Nov. 1, and there are several restrictions that apply, such as burning only unprocessed wood.
Laframboise said that another key element of fire safety is having working smoke alarms on all levels of your home. He added that additional detectors in bedrooms or other areas closed off from the rest of the floor are a good idea as well.
“There’s a lot of new home owners and there’s probably a lot of people that don’t know, they don’t think about fire safety and stuff like that,” he said. “Smoke alarms, they’re supposed to all be inspected every five years by me, but because of the COVID, we’re kind of staying away. We still need people to have their due diligence, and have unexpired, working smoke alarms on each level.”
Those heating with wood should be inspecting their chimneys for creosote build up, and have them cleaned if necessary. Electric heaters should be placed away from furniture and debris, and not run off of an extension cord.
Laframboise added that having at least two escape routes and an evacuation plan that everyone in the house is aware of is a precaution that a many choose to ignore.
“A lot of people don’t think of it until it’s too late,” he said. “Sometimes the kids are too small to know, so you have to help them.”
