SAULT STE. MARIE – October 6 marks the beginning of Fire Prevention Week.
Fire services all across the province will be educating the public about how to be 'fire safe'.
In Sault Ste. Marie, the service wants people to be prepared in the case of a major house fire.
The Ontario Fire Marshall says all it takes is 60 seconds, and a fire can spread before it's too late to get out of a house safely.
Local fire services are encouraging everyone to have an escape plan.
"We need to start practicing these at home because this is going to give you the much-needed time and a little bit of extra time to get out of the house and have a plan where to go, what to do in case of a fire emergency," said Aaron Gravelle, Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services.
Although schools practice an escape plan six times a year, Gravelle says that's not the case with home.
He says parents with young children do it, but adults don’t.
"For kids, yes we've told him basically get out of the house, leave everything behind and go. We told him to go across the street onto the other side of the road and we will all meet there, and not to go back for anything, not even the dog," said one Sault Ste. Marie resident.
"They say fire affects one of three people, so it's pretty good odds that someone you know or you could potentially be in a fire situation, and you need to get out so you can make sure that you stay safe," said Gravelle.
Gravelle says last year, one person died in Sault Ste. Marie as a result of a house fire.
Fire Prevention Week wraps up on Saturday with the department hosting a fire extinguishing class at station mall.
The public will be given the opportunity to put out a fire in the parking lot.
