Ontario's Fire Marshal said last year was the deadliest year in two decades for fire-related deaths.
Jon Pegg said there were 133 fire-related deaths in 2022.
"Within Ontario, we've seen a significant rise in fatal fires, and the number of people we have lost in these fires is very concerning," he said. "Entire families have been lost to fire."
Pegg said the majority of those fires were in homes that did not have a working smoke alarm.
He's urging residents to test their smoke alarms on September 28. Having a smoke alarm on each floor of a home has been the law since 2006.
"Smoke alarms save lives," said Ontario Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. "Smoke alarms are widely available, easy to install, and effective."
A recent survey suggests only 15 per cent of Ontarians test their smoke alarm once a month.
"We need to change the channel on how Ontario residents think about smoke alarms, and if we start getting in the habit of installing and regularly testing alarms, we can save lives," added President of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Rob Grimwood. "Being confident that you have a working smoke alarm only happens if they are tested once a month, batteries replaced once a year, and the alarms are not older than ten years."
The urgent call came after a two-day summit that brought members of Ontario's fire services together with fire safety stakeholders, educators, and municipal safety representatives.
