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January 2015
Paul Cleary B.B.A., BROKER 705-327-6002 Direct 705-325-1373 Office paulcleary.com
Devastating fires prompt warning By Kim Goggins Three homes completely destroyed; three families left homeless; human injuries and pets killed. That is the devastating result of three local house fires in this area in the last few months and as colder weather approaches, Severn Township’s fire prevention officer Dianne Kyle is asking residents to take precautions. “The real way to stay safe is to think about the consequences of your actions,” she says. “For example, if you hang your tea towel on your oven door, what happens to that tea towel if the pan (on the stove) catches fire? It will help spread the fire. If we take care of our electrical equipment, check for frayed cords on our appliances, don’t use extension cords for permanent wiring, stay in the kitchen when we cook and basically practice safe housekeeping the risk will be reduced.” Although Severn’s 2014 fire statistics were not available by The Villager’s press time, more than $750,000 worth of home damages resulted from fires in the Township between January and November 2014. In June, a dryer fire destroyed a home, causing $250,000 in damages; in October, a fire started from something cooking on the stove and destroyed a home and in November a possible electrical fire (the cause is still under investigation) destroyed a home and caused $350,000 worth of damage.
The inaugural ceremony to swear in the new Severn Township Council took place on Dec. 4, 2014. Seen here are (front, left to right) Deputy Mayor Judith Cox and Councillor Jane Dunlop, (middle) Councillor Ian Crichton, (back, from left to right) Councillors Donald Westcott, Mark Taylor and Ron Stevens, and Mayor Mike Burkett. Also in November, a house fire in Ramara summer because an exit that may be used Township started with lit candles during a in the summer may be blocked by snow in power outage and left a family homeless the winter.” with their pets perishing in the fire. This winter, Kyle suggests having chimneys cleaned by a certified technician and remembering to turn off space heaters as well as not having them close to curtains or furniture. She advises people to have a Business profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 carbon monoxide alarm along with smoke detectors installed in their home as this is the Year in review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 time of year the risk is higher. Recipe of the month . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Finally, plan a fire escape, she says. “Draw up a home fire escape plan with the whole Community happenings . . . . . . . . 22 family and practice it during the winter and
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