December 3, 2021
The City of Edmonton is concerned about the number of recent fires affecting Edmontonians experiencing homelessness.
“There have been four fire-related deaths this fall involving members of our community who are experiencing homelessness, and this is a tragedy.” said Rob McAdam, Deputy Fire Chief of Public Safety. “The safety of all Edmonton citizens is, and continues to be, our top priority at Edmonton Fire Rescue. Individuals experiencing homelessness face unique fire risks. Fire Rescue and our community partners must evolve prevention efforts to ensure optimal safety for all Edmontonians.”
People experiencing homelessness may seek shelter in encampments, abandoned buildings, or other structures which are unsafe. Earlier this week one person was found dead in an abandoned building in northeast Edmonton after firefighters responded to smoke at the scene.
Over the past two months, three other separate fire events have contributed to the deaths of people experiencing homelessness.
- A fire-related death occurred in connection with a person gaining access to a former lodging house in downtown Edmonton
- A fire-related death occurred in connection with a person intentionally gaining access to the inside of a locked waste collection bin
- A fire-related death occurred in connection with a person seeking shelter in an encampment
The City of Edmonton is working with various external partners to develop strategies to improve the fire safety of our vulnerable community members in all situations. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is also developing a strategy to reduce incidents involving fires in unsecured vacant properties.
Right now there are more than 2,800 people with no permanent home and around 1,200 are sleeping outside or in shelters on any given night.
The City is committed to long-term solutions, like supportive housing, and we are nearing our goal of creating 600 new units by 2022. In the meantime, the City is working with community partners to help Edmontonians without a permanent home get through the winter by funding expanded daytime shelter services and providing space for temporary, provincially-funded overnight shelters.
