Kingston Fire & Rescue issues public safety message amid spate of house fires

Kingston Fire & Rescue issued a public safety message to Kingston residents on Friday, Apr. 7, 2023, urging them to take some basic fire safety steps amid a spate of house fires in late March and early April.

“In the past eight days Kingston Fire & Rescue has responded to 10 residential fires. Five of the 10 fires were working fires with significant damage to the building and or contents. Many of the fires were preventable,” Kingston Fire & Rescue said in the advisory.

Among the fires Kingston Fire & Rescue responded to recently, were a serious fire that began in a garage on Perth Road, a deadly fire that took the lives of two people on Montreal Street, and a fire on Connaught Street that is now considered suspicious.

Kingston Fire & Rescue asked residents to conduct a “home self-inspection”, available through the City of Kingston website, which includes “15 fundamental life safety points” to check around the house, including the working state of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the existence of an escape plan, and the condition of household appliances like clothes dryers and power cords. “Please join the over 600 residents who have completed a home self-inspection to prevent home fires and reduce the risk of injury should a fire occur,” Kingston Fire & Rescue said. Each participating household is entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card upon completion of the checklist.