The report card is in and the results are not something you'd want to bring home to mom and dad.

Last week, Fire Chief Larry Coplen issued a failing grade to tenants and property owners of Thorold when it comes to practising fire safety.

In the first half of the year the Thorold fire department responded to 16 structural fires, Coplen said, an increase from the same time period last year.

He also told Niagara This Week that five out of 14 structural fires in the past six months were at locations which did not have working smoke detectors.

"A lot of times if they are there, we find tenants have disabled them for whatever reason," said Coplen."

If you find that a smoke alarm is going off as a nuisance, Coplen said there are one of two things that could be wrong.

The smoke detector could be in the wrong spot and should be moved, or there is something wrong with the detector and it should be replaced.

"You should never have to take out the batteries or take a smoke detector down," he said.

The report issued by the Thorold Fire Department indicated that most homeowners have working smoke alarms, but landlords received a "D-" grade. It said the department has found that many landlords are not providing tenants with the proper number of working alarms. Provincial law requires that there must be a working smoke alarm on every level of every residential unit.

Tenants received a failing grade. An "F" was given to tenants, Coplen said, because the department is constantly finding that alarms or batteries have been removed in renters' homes.

Last week the fire department responded to a fire in a multi-residential unit on Pine Street and all three rental units were without working smoke detectors.

Coplen said some of them had no batteries.

"If we respond to a fire or complaint and there are no working detectors, we will be laying charges," said Coplen.

Fines can be up to $50,000 for an individual and $100,000 for a corporation.

Business owners are also being reminded to have their alarm systems, fire extinguishers and restaurant hood systems tested by qualified individuals and that all refuse is properly discarded and flammable liquids are properly stored.

Any safety infraction that will put someone's life in danger will result in prosecution, Coplen said.

Thorold's fire department has been issuing a zero-tolerance crackdown, going door to door to complete voluntary inspections as well as working with homeowners to keep them in compliance.