Burn Awareness Week: Province offers tips to avoid electrical fires – My Powell River Now

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As temperatures dip, its important to stay safe while keeping warm inside.

The Province has partnered with Technical Safety BC and the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fundto raise awareness about preventing home fires and injuries.

The annual Burn Awareness Week campaign kicked off on February 7th, and it runs until the 13th. This years theme is Electrical Safety from Amps to Zap!.

While it says electricity is not often given a second thought, the Province is reminding you to stay cautious and aware when plugging in devices to charge, watching TV, or snuggling under a heated blanket.

Electrical burns are basically burns that result from an electrical current passing through your body and causing damage, says Campbell River firefighter,Jeremy Fyfe.

That can occur from touching live wires, from a young child putting something into a live electrical outlet, or even just from touching electrified water.

Fyfe says this can result in not only burns to the surface of your skin, but also deep tissue damage or even organ damage.

According to the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC), B.C. saw a total of 12 injuries and two deaths related to electrical fires last year.

In order to prevent electrical fires and burns, the Province urges you:

The OFC has launched new social media channels, and its teaming up with Technical Safety BC and the BC Professional Firefighters Burn Fund on a smoke-alarm giveaway via Facebook. Find more detailshere.

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Burn Awareness Week: Province offers tips to avoid electrical fires - My Powell River Now