Another winter brings another encampment fire as a single tent burned in the area of the Flour Mill, near Notre Dame Avenue, behind the Burger King restaurant on Jan. 5.
No injuries were reported and the fire was extinguished without issue, said Greater Sudbury Fire Chief, Rob Grimwood.
“There were no occupants of the tents when we were there, and the fire didn't extend at all,” he told Sudbury.com on Jan. 6. As it was a “simple” fire, Grimwood said it was fairly easy to put out. However, “Unfortunately, it's becoming a fairly routine incident,” he said.
As for the chance to educate vulnerable populations about fire safety, Grimwood said it’s a "tough" situation.
“We certainly never want to be the barrier to somebody being able to remain healthy, but the advice to them is that they've got to utilize the city's warming shelter and other resources,” he said.
Grimwood said that open flames or using natural gas and propane appliances in around tents is “just such a huge safety issue that there's no way to do it safely.”
He said of those who are without shelter and seeking warmth, “and I can appreciate how challenging that is,” are all being encouraged to utilize the city's warming center and “other available resources to come in from outside,” he said.