Thunder Bay Fire Rescue reminds residents that it is the law to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Carbon Monoxide alarms are required to be installed outside any sleeping area if your home has a fuel-fired appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage. 

The new Fire Code requirements coming into effect on January 1, 2026, will expand CO alarm installation in: 

  • Existing Homes: Alarms will now be required on every storey, not just near sleeping areas. 
  • Multi-Unit Residential Buildings: CO alarms must be installed in all suites meeting certain conditions, service rooms, and, in some cases, public corridors. 
  • Care Occupancies: This includes residential care facilities and certain group homes, where CO alarms will be required in suites and common areas. 

These changes are designed to better protect vulnerable populations and ensure CO alarms are placed where risks are highest.  

For more information residents are encouraged to visit: www.thunderbay.ca/fire.

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 Contact:       Kevin Anderson, Acting Division Chief – Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, 807-628-4921 or kevin.anderson@thunderbay.ca