Happy New Year, Vaughan!

Dec. 31, 2021 10:00 a.m.
City of Vaughan
​Practise fire safety and follow COVID-19 directives when ringing in 2022


The countdown to the new year is on, which means you may be enjoying festivities and celebrating safely with loved ones to mark the occasion. The City of Vaughan is reminding residents to keep fire safety and COVID-19 directives top of mind this evening. 

To help ensure your New Year’s Eve is fire free, follow these safety tips from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service:

  • Stay in the kitchen when cooking. Turn off the stove if you must step away.
  • Choose safer alternatives like battery-operated candles, flashlights and glow sticks instead of traditional candles as decorations. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended and keep them well away from children, pets and anything that can burn.
  • Remember to keep exits clear of decorations to ensure nothing blocks your escape routes in the event of a fire.
  • Make sure children know to “stop, drop and roll” if their clothing does catch fire – stop immediately, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll over and over to extinguish flames.
  • Remember, extension cords are for temporary use only. Use the right one for the job – there are special extension cords for outdoor use.
  • Never overload electrical outlets by plugging in too many plugs – use an approved power bar.
  • Check the wires of lights for any frays and keep them away from pets.
  • Test your smoke alarms to make sure they work, and ensure the batteries are new. 

Remember, fireworks are not permitted tonight. The City of Vaughan’s Fireworks By-law allows consumer fireworks – family fireworks set off in a private, at-home display – to be lit without a permit on Canada Day and Victoria Day only. For more information on fire safety, visit vaughan.ca/fire. 

If celebrating with others, please follow Province of Ontario guidelines around social gathering limits. To mitigate COVID-19 transmission, the province reduced social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors effective Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021. Visit the province’s COVID-19 Public Health Measures and Advice webpage for the latest information. 

York Region asks residents to:

  • Stay home as much as possible and limit close contact to those in your immediate household
  • Practice physical distancing with anyone outside of your household by staying two metres away from everyone else
  • Wash your hands thoroughly and often
  • Practice respiratory etiquette
  • Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
  • Wear a face mask or covering when inside public places and when physical distancing cannot be maintained
  • Clean high-touch surfaces often
  • Get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible to receive a vaccine
  • Download the COVID-Alert app

For updates and news as they happen, subscribe to Vaughan News and follow the official corporate channels on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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