Having an escape plan and being prepared for a house fire is extremely important and helps save lives. With new homes being built with faster burning material and home furnishings producing more toxic gases and smoke it is becoming more important to have a solid escape plan.

"It's our number one tool in our arsenal in regards to make people safe from a fire is fire prevention," says Weyburn Fire Chief, Simon Almond. "We concentrate a lot of our resources on suppressing a fire but it'd be a lot more efficient if we could prevent it in the first place."

October 8th to the 14th is Fire Prevention Week and Weyburn is committed to making sure residents know what to do when there is a fire. The Weyburn Fire Department plans to visit Weyburn schools with their fire safety trailer to help children with fire safety. They have also visited around 120 homes in Weyburn to check their smoke detectors and talking about general fire safety. Saturday, October 14th will see the Weyburn Fire Hall hosting an open house for people to come and get more information on fire prevention and safety.

"Weyburn's first responders are dedicated to reducing the occurrence of home fires and home fire injuries through prevention and protection education," says Mayor Marcel Roy. "Weyburn residents are responsive to reducing public education measures and are able to take personal steps to increase their safety from fire, especially in their homes."

Chief Almond also mentions that having two exits from every room in the household is ideal. All members of the family should be aware of the plan and the family as a whole should practice the escape plan twice a year so everyone understands what to do in a real fire situation.