Ontario's 'devastating' number of fire deaths prompts plea to test smoke alarms

Ontario's top fire official is taking a new step to prevent fire-related deaths as the province faces the highest number of such fatalities in 20 years.

On Wednesday, Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg announced Sept. 28 will be the province's first Test Your Smoke Alarm Day. The designation comes after 133 people died as a result of residential fires in 2022.

Most fatal fires occur in homes without working smoke alarms, and people often have seconds to get out of their homes to save their lives, Pegg said.

"Over the past year, we have witnessed a tragic increase in fire-related fatalities in our province," he said.

"These were not mere statistics. These were real people, including children with families and loved ones who are now forever impacted by these devastating events. What makes these losses even more heartbreaking is that many of these fires occurred in homes without working smoke alarms." 

Pegg said the day is meant to encourage all Ontario residents to test their smoke alarms and every month thereafter. Testing simply involves pressing the test button to make sure an alarm is in good working order, he said.

Smoke alarms have been legally required to be installed on every storey of a residence in Ontario since 2006, but Pegg said compliance has been lacking.

"If you don't have a working smoke alarm, your chance of survival is very, very low."

Pegg said in an interview that Ontario residents are becoming complacent about fire safety. He added that it is "mind-blowing" to see that number of fire deaths in Ontario given the technology available today to alert people of a fire.

"Is it complacency? It absolutely is. People just don't get the message," Pegg said.