Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is proud to launch the new online Community Risk Public Portal, which offers real-time, neighbourhood-specific data on the causes of fires by community to enhance fire prevention efforts and give residents access to insights to help them take steps to be more fire-safe.
“CYFS is committed to helping residents of Aurora and Newmarket stay informed and protected,” says Deputy Fire Chief of Community Risk and Education, Lorianne Zwicker. “Understanding the most common fire risks in your community is an important step in keeping your household safe, along with knowing the actions you can take to reduce and prevent fires.”
The easy to use tool allows residents to enter their home address and view data showing the top three fire risks, based on causes of recent fires in their ward. Each risk links to safety tips, empowering residents with targeted information that can help reduce preventable fires.
Fire prevention staff have access to more robust data, which will help CYFS with targeted community outreach. In addition to fire causes, the data reveals that most fires occur between 4 p.m. and midnight; yet the most dangerous time for a fire incident is from midnight to 8 a.m., when occupants are sleeping—which is why smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are vital.
Leading causes of residential fires
Across Ontario cooking, smoking and electrical issues are the leading causes of residential fires. Locally, Aurora and Newmarket reflect similar patterns. In 2025, the top three causes of residential fires in these communities were:
Cooking: often caused by unattended cooking, overheated oils, or distractions in the kitchen.
Electrical issues: overloaded outlets, aging wiring, and improper use of extension cords or power bars.
Battery-related incidents: involving lithium ion batteries that are damaged, improperly charged or used with incompatible chargers.
This past year, battery-related fires surpassed fires sparked by smoking, which had consistently been among the top three causes (alongside cooking and electrical issues) for four years. Smoking and heating appliances are also currently top causes within the CYFS region.
Here are some simple actions residents can take today to significantly reduce the risk of a fire in their home based on the common causes of fires locally.
Cooking: Stay focused when cooking by remaining in the kitchen, turning off the stove if you leave and smothering small fires with a lid while shutting off the heat.
Electrical: Use electrical outlets safely by avoiding cords under rugs, checking for damage, replacing frayed cords immediately and plugging heavy appliances directly into their own outlet.
Batteries: Charge and dispose of batteries properly. Be sure to use the correct charger and place devices on non-flammable surfaces. When batteries have reached their end of life, tape the terminals and recycle them through a battery recycling location, such as your local CYFS fire station. Never throw batteries in the trash or blue bin, as they can ignite a fire.
Smoking: Smoking outside reduces the risk of unintentional fires. When butting out, use a deep, sturdy ashtray away from anything that can burn. Before throwing away butts and ashes, douse it in water or sand.
Heating Appliance: Conduct annual inspections of your furnace or wood-burning heating units to ensure proper maintenance and prevent carbon monoxide risks. Give portable and baseboard heaters space and always turn off portable heaters when leaving the home.
Early Warning: Install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on every storey of your home. Test them, replace batteries as needed, and replace the units as recommended to ensure they are always in working order.
Residents are invited to explore the Community Risk Public Portal to find the top fire risks in their neighbourhood and talk with their family about steps they can take to prevent fires.
Visit cyfs.ca and click on the Community Risk Assessment tab to check it out.
Background:
The Community Risk Portal is a data-driven tool with real-time information available to the public, and a more in-depth portal for CYFS fire prevention personnel to track fire causes and target public education effectively. Building on the successful implementation of similar portals in neighbouring municipalities, such as the Town of Georgina, CYFS created the tool in-house, aligned with its vision to modernize fire services. The portal provides enhanced efficiencies and represents significant cost and process savings by using real-time data to meet mandated requirements for Community Risk Assessment (Ontario Regulation 378/18). The tool allows CYFS to capture and analyze data on a continuous basis, replacing the former assessment and representing a savings of up to $175,000 every five years.
