Burning Issue

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Nothing will give you a greater appreciation for the intensity of a house fire than standing directly in front of one. Even a fake one.

Last week, I and a number of local media braced our cameras in front of a trailer outside the Toronto Fire Service Special Operations Centre. It had the side cut out, exposing the contents of a mock living room. To help simulate what happens when someone drops a lit cigarette on the couch, a firefighter placed a small torch on the scene. Within 90 quick seconds, it looked like something out of a movie. We all had to move back fast to get away from the heat and choking black smoke. Let’s just say I have new respect for not only house fire survivors, but also those people who make their living marching into situations everyone else is clambering to escape.

A live burn demonstration kicked off the launch of
Sunnybrook's study on the healthcare costs of house fires.

We know that firefighters have a much higher incidence of certain cancers compared to the general population, and that recovering from a burn can be a long process. What we don’t know is how much burn care is costing our health care system. That’s why Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is launching a three-year study on the topic, looking at things like coroner data and information from fire chiefs and rehab groups.

That 4 minute fire demonstration knocked me onto my fire prevention soapbox. Make sure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, and check out the Toronto Fire Services website for more potentially lifesaving tips. While Sunnybrook’s Ross Tilley Burn Centre is the biggest in Canada, the proverbial ounce of prevention always beats the pound of cure.

Click here for more fire safety tips from Toronto Fire Services.