Four homeless people in Edmonton died in fires in last two months, city says
The City of Edmonton says there have been four fire-related deaths in the past two months involving people experiencing homelessness.
The city says they may seek shelter in encampments, abandoned buildings or other structures that are unsafe.
It says that earlier this week, one person was found dead in an abandoned building in northeastern Edmonton after firefighters responded to smoke at the scene.
The city says another person died recently in a fire after they tried to gain access to a former lodging downtown.
It adds that one person died when trying to get inside a locked waste collection bin and another died while seeking shelter in an encampment.
The city says it is working with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services to develop a strategy to reduce fires in unsecured vacant properties.
“This is a tragedy,” Rob McAdam, deputy fire chief, said in the city news release Friday.
“Individuals experiencing homelessness face unique fire risks. Fire Rescue and our community partners must evolve prevention efforts to ensure optimal safety for all Edmontonians.”
In Edmonton, there are more than 2,800 people with no permanent home and about 1,200 are sleeping outside or in shelters on any given night, the city says.
Last month, Premier Jason Kenney announced $21.5 million to address homelessness and domestic violence, as well as for isolation spaces for vulnerable people infected with COVID-19.
About $13 million of the money is to aid 14 shelters to expand space and provide meals, showers, laundry services and access to addictions and mental-health services.
Another $6.5 million is to help open about 285 isolation spaces in 10 communities, and $2 million is to support emergency women's shelters.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said at the time that the provincial funding came at a crucial moment with the city's unhoused population doubling during the pandemic and there weren't enough shelter spaces to accommodate them.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.