Make Your Hunt Camp as Safe as Your Home In Case of Fire, Smoke Alarms and CO Detectors Save Lives
It is fall hunting season and across the province, thousands of hunters are taking up temporary residence in their camps and cabins. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the City of Kawartha Lakes Fire Service remind hunters and others enjoying their rural properties to put the same fire prevention measures into place at their cabins as they have at home.
“Time at the camp is a precious opportunity to recharge our batteries and enjoy our hunting traditions with friends and family,” said Mike Reader, OFAH Executive Director. “Hunters are extremely responsible when it comes to firearms safety, and we need to be just as safety-minded when it comes to protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our natural surroundings from the devastation of a fire.”
The following tips will help ensure a safe, enjoyable stay at the camp or cabin:
- Ensure there are working smoke alarms and change the battery at least once a year
- Solve nuisance alarms by installing a smoke alarm with a hush button
- Ensure wood stoves and propane appliances are installed to code requirements
- Keep combustibles well away from stoves and propane fired appliances
- If it is necessary to plug extension cords into appliances, ensure they are of a gauge capable of handling the electrical load.
(Left to right) City of Kawartha Lakes firefighters and outdoorsmen Captain Shaun Thurston, Jeremy Thomas and Andrew Stewart remind hunters to install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors at the camp.
“Fires at remote properties such as hunt camps and cabins are challenging for firefighters to reach. In case a fire does break out, ensure everyone gets out safely by having working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detector on each floor,” said CKL Fire Chief Mark Pankhurst. “You may have only two to three minutes to escape, so commit to making your camp as safe as your home.”
To learn more about fire prevention, visit www.city.kawarthalakes.on.ca/fire.
With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 670 member clubs, the OFAH is the province’s largest nonprofit, fish and wildlife conservation-based organization, and the VOICE of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.
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