St.Catharines property owner has been fined $2,500 for not having working smoke alarms.
Hee Sook Kim plead guilty to two charges under the Ontario Fire Code for not having working smoke alarms on the main floor and basement levels of the home at 7 Camelot Ct.
The court imposed the $1,250 fine per charge plus court costs and victim fine surcharges.
Deputy Fire Chief Larry Jones says smoke alarms are proven to save lives by giving residents an early warning a fire is happening in their home and they need to get out.
He says smoke alarms are required by law. Not having smoke alarms on every storey can be a costly mistake.
Ontario law requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas.
Not having working smoke alarms could result in fines up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
The deputy fire chief reminds residents changes to the Ontario Fire Code in October 2014 phased in new carbon monoxide alarm requirements.
In a single family home, carbon monoxide alarms are required to be installed adjacent to all sleeping areas of homes that have fuel-burning appliances or fireplaces, shares a common wall, floor or ceiling with a garage or service room containing a fuel-burning appliance.