The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is encouraging families to check smoke alarms and practice their escape plans following two massive fires in Manitoba this week.
Matt Molinski, a Windsor Park father of two, said the thought of fire tearing through his home is terrifying, but admits if a fire broke out, his family wouldn’t be prepared.
"We do not have a plan. Nothing is set in stone," he said.
In Kane, near Morris, four boys died in a fire that ripped through their farm house this week and in Neepawa a blaze destroyed a hardware store and four apartment units above it.
The cause of both fires is still under investigation.
Marc Proulx is the public education coordinator with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.
He said having an escape plan is one of the main factors in preventing a tragedy - a plan that must include having two exits.
Proulx encourages parents to review their own floor plans and go over the escape plan often - ideally once a month.
Other factors to help stay safe include making sure fire alarms are working, test them once a month and have one in every bedroom of the house.
Once the alarm sounds off, it's time to put the plan into action - a plan that Molinski now says he will start developing immediately.
