MONCTON, NB -Provincial Fire Marshall Norm Thibodeau says Fire Prevention Week is a good time to take a look at your smoke alarms.

Thibodeau says not only should you replace your batteries, but you should check the manufacture date.

If your detector is more than 10 years old, it should be replaced…

“Older detectors tend to get dust inside them and that could prevent them from working properly in the event of a fire.   it could only be a matter of seconds…but that could be the difference when escaping from a burning building.”  says Thibodeau.

Thibodeau says just like a car, your heating systems require annual maintenance and you should make sure your filters and heating elements are free of dust bunnies.

Meanwhile,  Thibodeau says a source of fires in recent years has been overheated laptop computers left on beds or other soft surfaces.

He advises users to keep them on hard surfaces when not in use.