Fire Safety

The City of Cambridge Fire Department has a Fire Prevention division that helps the community learn about preventing fires and other safety hazards, including the rules and regulations for carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms

Every home must have working smoke alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas. It is the law! Smoke alarms provide early warning and time to leave when there's a fire. A large portion of fire deaths in the home occur at night, while sleeping.

Installation and Maintenance
Since smoke rises, install smoke alarms on the ceiling and follow the manufacturers installation instructions. Avoid placing them close to bathrooms, heating appliances, windows or fans. For more protection, install alarms inside bedrooms.

Homeowners must install and maintain smoke alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Landlords must also comply with the same law as homeowners, installing and maintaining smoke alarms for their tenants. Tenants must contact their landlord if they do not have the required smoke alarms. It is against the law for a tenant to tamper with a smoke alarm.

Smoke alarm safety checklist
Stay safe by following our smoke alarm safety checklist:

1. Test smoke alarms monthly.
2. Change the batteries at least once per year.
3. Gently vacuum once a year with soft brush.
4. Replace smoke alarm when they exceed the recommended life cycle (usually 10 years). Replace an alarm earlier if it is not working correctly or damaged.

Learn more about smoke alarm safety.

Types of smoke alarms

Smoke alarms with high decibel alarms or strobe lights are available for the hearing impaired. Visit the Canadian Hearing Society for more information.

Need Clarification?

For specific questions regarding the CO alarm requirements that may apply to your home, please contact fireprevention@cambridge.ca The local fire department is the authority responsible for enforcing the Fire Code in your area.

• Installation requirements are outlined in Section 2.16 of Division B of the Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07).
• Maintenance requirements are outlined in Subsection 6.3.4. of Division B of the Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07).

Quick facts about carbon monoxide

• CO is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas.
• Fuels that do not have enough air to burn completely produce CO gas.
• Any device that burns fuels can produce CO gas, including stoves, fireplaces, generators and engines.
• Exposure to CO gas can cause flu symptoms.
• At high levels, CO gas can cause loss of consciousness or death.

New Safety Requirements Starting January 1, 2026

A fire can double in size each minute. That's why having a home fire escape plan is one of the most important things you can do with your family. By working on a home escape plan together, you and your family will know the safest way out of your home in the event of a fire.

Below are some tips to help you make a home escape plan.

Plan a Route
To ensure your family has an escape route in an emergency situation, plan two ways out of each room by:

• Identifying your primary (first way out) and secondary (second way out) exits (the first way out should be using a normal way out such as the front or back door, and the second way out could be a window)
• Making sure windows can be opened easily
• Planning your escape in a two-storey home through a window onto a roof or porch
• Ensuring everyone knows how to use an escape ladder, if you must use one for your escape plan
• Practice your plan twice a year

If you see smoke around your primary escape route, use your secondary exit. If you must escape through smoke, get low and go beneath the smoke.

Choose a meeting place outside the home
During an emergency, make sure all family members know where to meet outside the home and mark it on your home escape plan.  A good meeting place would be a tree, telephone pole or a neighbour's home.

• Apartment escape planning
  If you live in an apartment, remember the following tips for exiting your building during a fire or emergency:
• Always use the stairs, never use an elevator in case of a fire
• Do not use elevators even if they appear to be working (when the alarm sounds, elevators may be grounded and in control of the responding firefighters)
• If fire or smoke blocks your exit, protect yourself and your family in place by:
  • Closing your apartment door
  • Covering all cracks where smoke could enter using wet towels or tape
  • Calling 9-1-1 even if firefighters are already onsite and telling them the number of your apartment
  • Waving a sheet or towel from the window to help firefighters locate you
  • Trying to stay calm and listening for instructions from fire personnel
    

• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, change batteries immediately if needed.
• Check for overloaded or damaged extension cords, replace where needed.
• Practice your family's fire escape plan so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.
• Check windows to ensure they open and close properly, in case they are needed as an exit during an emergency.
• Properly store household chemicals and never mix cleaning agents.
• Get rid of old newspapers, magazines and junk mail (recycle), as these items tend to pile up and can contribute to the severity and spread of fire.
• Check and clean filters above your stove.
• Pull refrigerator out and vacuum or dust the coils.
• Always keep stairs and landings clear for safe evacuation in event of an emergency.
• Don't over charge your lithium-ion devices, (smart phone, laptops, iPads, e-cigarettes, etc)
• Don't charge any devices near or in front of an exit (e-scooter, e-bike, etc)

Talk to your landlord or superintendent. Know the emergency procedures outlined in the building's fire safety plan.

Every fire is different. You must act quickly when you hear the alarm or discover a fire. You must always protect yourself from smoke. Remember, most people die from the smoke, not the fire. Here is what to do.

If there is a fire in your apartment:

• Tell everyone in your apartment to leave.
• Close all doors behind you.
• Pull the fire alarm on your floor and yell 'fire'.
• Leave the building using the nearest stairway.
• Call the fire department when you are safe.
• Follow the fire safety plan of your building.

When you hear the Fire Alarm
Most of the time, the best thing to do in a fire is leave the building as soon as possible. But in some cases you may not be able to leave and you may have to stay in your apartment. In either case you must act quickly. No matter what your decision you must protect your self from the smoke.

When you leave the building
Check the door to your apartment. If smoke is entering from around the door, do not open it.

• Protect yourself from smoke inside your apartment.
• If there is no smoke, brace yourself and open the door a little.
• If you see smoke or feel heat, close the door quickly and protect yourself.
• If the corridor is clear, take your keys, lock your door, and go to the nearest stairway.
• DO NOT USE THE ELEVATOR.
• Open the nearest stairway door carefully.
• If there is no smoke, use the stairway to leave the building.
• If there is smoke, do not enter. Close the door. Go to another stairway and open the door carefully.
• If there is no smoke here, use this stairway to leave the building.
• If there is smoke, do not enter. If there are other stairways, try them. If there are not, return to your apartment and protect yourself from smoke.

When you are inside the stairway

• If you find smoke on your way down the stairs, leave that stairway as soon as you can. In some buildings, some doors leading from the stair- way to the corridor may be locked. But at least every five floors the doors will not lock so you can leave the stairway.
• Use another stairway if it is clear of smoke.
• If you can't use any stairway, return to your apartment if you can, or go into any corridor and bang on apartment doors until you find a place to take shelter.
• Never go to the roof. Smoke usually rises to the top of the stairway. Doors opening onto the roof are locked and you could be trapped.
• Remember, wherever you are, if there is smoke, get low and go under the smoke to safety. The air is cleaner near the floor.

If you remain in your apartment
You must protect yourself from smoke. Stay in your apartment until you are rescued or until you are told to leave. This may take a long time. Do not try to leave your apartment a long time after the alarm has sounded. The longer you wait, the more risk there is that heavy smoke will have spread into stairways and corridors. Your chances of survival are less.

• Keep smoke from entering your apartment. Use duct tape to seal cracks around the door and place wet towels at the bottom. Seal vents or air ducts the same way.

If smoke enters your apartment:

• Telephone the fire department, tell them where you are and then move to the balcony. Close the doors behind you.
• If you don't have a balcony, go to the most smoke-free room, close the door and seal it with tape and towels. If necessary, open the window for fresh air. Show emergency personnel where you are by hanging a sheet from the window or balcony.
• Keep low to the floor where the air is cleaner.
• Listen for instructions from authorities.

Remember, fire safety begins with you.
Find out about fire safety in your building.

For more information about surviving a fire, ask your building management or the fire department.

Office of the Fire Marshal © 2008

• Ensure your address numbers are up and visible from the street.
• Maintain a clear 'fire zone' of 10 feet around structures.
• Check outdoor electrical outlets and other electrical appliances for animal nests and to ensure proper wiring.
• Remove leaves and trash from carports and garages as combustible materials are dangerous if they are exposed to heated automobile components, especially under the vehicle.
• Clean up and properly store paints, pool and yard chemicals.
• Check fuels containers for leaks and make sure they are properly stored.
• Let power equipment sit for approximately 30 minutes before placing it inside to be sure there is no possibility of fire.
• If you have a fire hydrant in front of your home, assist the Fire department by keeping it clear of snow.

• Only barbeque outdoors - using barbeques indoors or in enclosed spaces is not only a fire hazard, but it exposes occupants to toxic gasses.
• Always position the barbeque well away from combustible objects - buildings, fences, deck railings and landscaping can catch fire easily and quickly.
• Clean and service your barbeque regularly.
• Check all propane tanks and lines for leaks and damage.
• Never leave a lit barbeque unattended.
• Always use long-handled barbeque utensils and heat-resistant oven mitts to avoid exposure burns from heat and flames.
• Periodically remove grease build-up in catch trays to prevent it from catching.
• Please refer to the City of Cambridge Barbeque By-law No.163-96 for restrictions related to the use of barbecues on balconies and in multi‑level residential buildings.

The City of Cambridge Fire Department's Public Education division provides classroom and community programs for people of all ages to learn more about fire safety and safety in their community.

Fire safety programs
Our fire safety programs include:

• Pre-school program
• JK/SK fire safety program
• Grade 1 to Grade 8 fire safety program
• Corporate health and safety presentations
• Seniors program
• Request a Fire Truck Visit
• Station tours
• Fire Hall Museum and Education Centre
• Community programs

To register for a fire safety program please visit our portal.

Contact the Public Education division at (519) 621-6001 ext. 2380 

Special Events
The fire department also holds special events to promote fire safety and prevention throughout the community, including:

• Fire Awareness Day
• Fire Prevention Week
• Emergency Preparedness Week
• Community Events