Carol Baldwin
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wakaw Recorder
The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) proclaimed September 28, 2025, as Test Your Smoke Alarm Day in the province, but anyone who missed completing that vital test in September can still do it now.
Test Your Smoke Alarm Day encourages people to check that smoke alarms are properly installed and that they are working. This is fundamental to ensure that occupants are warned of a fire and have the time needed to escape. Many fatal fires start at night, and the smoke from a fire won’t necessarily wake a person up. Often, victims never wake up because the fumes put them into an even deeper sleep.
The Canada Safety Council advises all Canadians to make sure their smoke alarms are working. A dead unit is worse than none at all, as it can give people a false sense of security; only a working smoke alarm can save a life.
“It is simple – working smoke alarms save lives,” SPSA Fire Marshal Wayne Rodger said. “We encourage all residents to test their smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button to make sure the alarm is working. One simple beep could make all the difference in protecting you and your loved ones.”
Research has shown that working smoke alarms significantly reduce the risk of fire injuries and deaths. In addition to smoke alarms, education on topics such as fire escape, fire safety, and home maintenance is key to reducing fire fatalities. As of July 2022, all Saskatchewan residential buildings were required to have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
According to data from the National Fire Protection Association, nearly three out of five (59 percent) fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that failed to operate. Investigations into home fire deaths very often find that a smoke alarm did not sound because it may have been disconnected or was not in working order, the batteries may have been dead, or someone may have taken them out.
For both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, most fire deaths occurred in residential fires, most often in a single-detached home and in the winter. Cooking, electrical and heating devices were the most common sources of fatal fires for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, followed by cigarettes and candles or other open flames.
Test all alarms monthly by pushing the test button. Once a year, use a smouldering cotton string, a cigarette or incense to make the alarm sound. If the alarm is battery-powered and does not sound, replace the battery with a new one and try again. If it is electrically connected to household circuits and does not sound, check the fuse and try again. In either case, if the alarm still does not work, replace the entire unit.
Replace the batteries twice a year, or when you hear intermittent beeping. Do not use rechargeable batteries. Unlike regular batteries, they lose their charge without emitting any warning signal.
Smoke alarms can be electrically powered, battery powered or a combination of both. Whatever kind they are, remember they do not last forever. Always err on the side of safety and replace them every ten years with new ones.
“Test alarms monthly, replace batteries yearly, and replace alarms every 10 years – it saves lives.”
