Cornwall Fire Services and the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) completed their investigation into a Jan. 1 fire at a multi-residential property on John Street, and confirmed there was a fatality.
The city issued a statement Tuesday morning regarding the fatality. The identity of the deceased is being withheld until next of kin have been notified.
Firefighters responded to 31 John St. just after 6 p.m. on Jan. 1, arriving to find it in an advanced state. A total of 34 firefighters were involved in the response to the fire, in temperatures that dipped to –20 C. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
An unknown number of residents were displaced by the fire to the four-unit building, who received support from the Canadian Red Cross. Since the fire, several fundraising campaigns to assist displaced residents are being promoted on social media.
The investigation showed only one working smoke alarm was present in the building at the time of the fire, with fire services saying a property of that size and configuration should have had at least 10 smoke alarms.
The Ontario Fire Code requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a residence, and outside of all sleeping areas. It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the fire code, so every unit has the correct number of devices and that they are kept in working order. Tenants should inform their landlord when a smoke alarm isn’t working, or is absent.
Enforcement of non-compliance can range from a $235 ticket, to a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
“I can confirm that, based on the findings of the investigation, appropriate charges are being pursued in relation to the lack of required smoke alarms in the property,” Cornwall Fire Services Chief and deputy CAO Matthew Stephenson said in reply to a question on potential charges. “As this matter is now subject to legal proceedings, we are unable to provide further details at this time.”
Cornwall Fire Services will be initiating its After the Fire program in the neighbourhood in the coming weeks. The program provides fire-safety education, support, and resources to residents.