A neighbour’s call after hearing smoke alarms led firefighters to an unoccupied home on Rosewood Avenue in Crystal Beach late on January 28 where crews contained a small interior fire and limited damage.
The Fort Erie Fire Department responded to the address after 9 p.m., with no injuries reported and no structural involvement.
Firefighters arrived at 226 Rosewood Avenue to find smoke inside the residence but no active fire in the structure, according to the department. Damage was confined to interior finishes and smoke affected the inside of the home.
“The cause of the fire is undetermined, but it is not suspicious,” Fire Chief Mark Schmitt told Fort Erie Radio.
Schmitt said the call served as a reminder for Fort Erie residents to regularly check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, confirm they work as intended and replace units that have expired, noting that early detection can protect lives and property.
Statistics Canada reported that homes without a working smoke alarm, including those with no alarm or alarms that did not activate, accounted for about 74 per cent of residential fire deaths in Canada in 2021. Ontario recorded 111 fire-related deaths in 2023 with many fatal fires occurring in homes without working smoke alarms.
Weather conditions complicated the response, with crews operating in snowy squall-like conditions while securing the scene and ventilating the residence. Schmitt commended the firefighters for successfully containing the fire during such freezing weather conditions.
“Crews fought through the bitterly cold weather and snowy conditions, and did an excellent job quickly containing the fire, limiting damage to the residence,” he said.
The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal urges homeowners to test alarms monthly and replace units older than 10 years.