A Wake Up Call for Home Owners. Why Silence Isn’t Golden.

Community Safety Alert 🚨

Earlier this week, a fire on Edgar Avenue in Alton Village was a stark reminder of how quickly everyday life can turn into an emergency. We’re grateful for the fast response from Burlington Fire, and it’s a cue for the rest of us to do one simple thing today:

Check your smoke alarms.

Most of us forget about them unless they chirp at 3 a.m. But smoke alarms are the one thing in your home that must work perfectly, all the time.

What most homeowners don’t realize:

• Changing batteries when the clocks change isn’t enough
• Smoke alarms expire after 10 years, the sensors degrade
• Many homes still have original builder-grade alarms that are now past their lifespan

If your alarm is over 10 years old (check the date on the back), it needs to be replaced, not just re-batteried.

Quick safety check (10 minutes):

• Test every alarm
• Check the manufacture date
• Vacuum dust from the unit
• Check carbon monoxide detectors (5–7 year lifespan)

The best way to support our neighbours, and our firefighters, is to make sure we’re not the next emergency call.

If you have elderly neighbours, offer to help.

Stay safe, Burlington 🧡