The Watson Lake Fire Department
The Watson Lake Fire Department is a dedicated service committed to protecting the lives, property, and environment of the Watson Lake community. Operating with a team of volunteer firefighters, the department responds to fire emergencies, vehicle accidents, and other critical incidents. In addition to emergency response, the department focuses on fire prevention, creating emergency preparedness plans and safety education.
SHARE THE SPIRIT YUKON 2024
The Watson Lake Fire Department would like to express our huge thank you to the Whitehorse Firefighter’s Charitable Society through the Share the Spirit Yukon 2024 for giving us the privilege of participating with the Toy and Food Drive for Watson Lake and surrounding communities yesterday, December 18, 2024.
For those who are not aware, Share the Spirit Yukon is a Support Program that supports families across the territory, bringing joy to the upcoming Christmas and Holiday Season. Over the past 9 years, it has grown to become the BIGGEST geographic Christmas Support Program in Canada, and we are glad that through this, The Watson Lake Fire Department got to contribute by letting us deliver essential hampers and Christmas gifts for children who belong in these selected households.
We would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone in Watson Lake to visit their website to learn about this program by visiting this link:
https://www.afterthefireisout.com/share-the-spirit-yukon-index
Whether through donating, or spreading the word, your support will make a big difference to their organization’s future efforts of spreading kindness and holiday cheer.
From the Watson Lake Fire Department, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
Winter Holidays Are Here!
Celebrate the holidays with these important and easy fire safety tips from NFPA.
Christmas tree fires could turn devastating in a couple of seconds. The video below shows just how quickly a dried-out Christmas tree burns, with flashover occurring in less than one minute, as compared to a well-watered tree, which burns at a much slower rate. Take care to water your tree, so that it doesn’t become a fire hazard.
Winter Holidays Fire Facts: Fires don't just happen during the hotter seasons.
- U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees. These fires caused an annual average of 3 civilian fire deaths, 30 civilian fire injuries and $14 million in direct property damage.
- Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in more than two in five (41%) home Christmas tree fires.
- Nearly one of every five (20%) Christmas tree fires were started by lamps or bulbs. Eleven percent were started by candles.
- Roughly two of every five (40%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room.
- Candle fires peak in December and January with 11 percent of candle fires in each of these months.
- Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.
- Year round, one-third (32%) of home decoration fires were started by candles. This jumped to almost half in December when candles started 46% of such fires. Cooking started one-fifth (20%) of decoration fires.
Source: NFPA's Applied Research
Christmas tree & decoration fires
Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. Between 2018-2022, US fire departments responded to an average of 155 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.
In the throes of holiday shopping and decorating? Also see: UL white paper: Reducing the Fire Hazard of Pre-Lit Artificial Christmas Trees
Christmas tree disposal
As Christmas trees dry out, they become more and more flammable. Thirty-six percent of Christmas tree fires were in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, they can grow very fast.
Holiday cooking
In 2022, the three leading dates for home structure fires caused by cooking were: Thanksgiving, Christmas day and Christmas Eve. That's why it's important to know what you can do to help keep your friends and family safe while entertaining for the holidays.
For more Fire Safety tips and information, visit https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/winter-holidays, so you and your loved ones stay safe, and warm during this festive season.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Watson Lake!
From the Watson Lake Fire Department:
Quarter 3 Department Reports, Town of Watson Lake
3rd Quarter Highlights:
During the third quarter, the Watson Lake Fire Department focused on enhancing community safety through grant-funded projects, recruitment, equipment upgrades, training, and fire prevention activities.
Grant Funding: Secured $30,000 from the FireSmart Program and additional funding from the Climate Preparedness in the North Grant to treat five hectares for wildfire mitigation. This work supports community safety and local employment.
Recruitment: Added six new volunteer firefighters, with plans to recruit four more, strengthening the department's response capacity.
Equipment Upgrades: Acquired 22 Kenwood radios and a Starlink system for improved communication, a Decon Pak for equipment decontamination, and a trailer for efficient transport of tools. Additional equipment, including chainsaws and brush saws, was purchased for wildland-urban interface emergencies.
Training: Conducted fire extinguisher training for town employees, CANUTEC hazardous materials training for 19 participants, and advanced firefighter training to NFPA 1001 Level 1 standards.
Fire Prevention: Hosted Fire Prevention Week activities, including a school visit, a motorcade, and a community contest promoting smoke detector checks.
Community Engagement: Represented at the Yukon Fire Chiefs Conference, where the Fire Chief was elected Vice President of the association, strengthening regional collaboration.
The department responded to 21 calls during the quarter, including medical emergencies, structure fires, and vehicle accidents, while logging over 75 hours of training.
All Quarterly Department Reports
2024 Quarter 1(January-March), 2024 Quarter 2 (April-June), 2024 Quarter 3 (July-September)
Quarter 2 Highlights -
In June, the department acquired two Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) trailers equipped with essential gear and equipment for safeguarding communities during wildfire incidents. Each trailer is outfitted with high-capacity pumps, durable hoses, sprinklers, and various tools necessary for deploying water to protect structures in fire-prone areas. These trailers are designed to be quickly mobilized to areas at risk, enhancing the department's ability to respond effectively to wildfires and minimize damage to residential and commercial properties. Additionally, the WUI trailers feature storage compartments for tools and safety gear, ensuring that all necessary resources are readily available for emergency deployment.