Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean there can’t be a fire. We could see it this morning when a building on Sherbrooke Street caught fire despite a temperature of -27 degrees Celsius. Can we protect ourselves better? That’s what Yasmine Abdelfadel asked the department head of the Montreal Fire Department, Martin Guilbault.
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“There can be electrical failures, human errors that occur when people use spot heaters,” the specialist explained to QUB Radio.
Poorly insulated apartments, non-functioning heating systems, there are many good reasons for using a parking heater. However, did you know that there are some basic rules for using this device safely?
“We cannot use auxiliary heating if we are not present at our accommodation,” Mr Guilbault said.
- Hear Martin Guilbault on QUB Radio:
Don’t leave the heater on when you’re gone, okay. But still ? Is it alright? Apparently not. The area manager wanted to shed some light on what kind of sockets the parking heater should be supplied with.
“It shouldn’t be plugged into an extension cord,” he said.
He also advised users of this device to “keep it away from all flammable materials.” Fabrics, curtains, sofas… Always respect the safety distances between these objects and your heater!
The use of camping gear in our home should be banned entirely, Mr. Guilbault also said.
“These devices release a lot of carbon monoxide,” explains the division manager.
Whether it’s for reheating or cooking, Martin Guilbault thinks we should opt for a different solution.