By Shawn Jeffords, The Standard

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St. Catharines firefighters battled an early morning at 58 Maple Ave. March 12 2012 File photos/QMI AGENCY

ST. CATHARINES - Two people are in hospital after an early morning blaze St. Catharines fire officials are calling suspicious.

The fire broke out at a Maple St. home in St. Catharines just after 5 a.m. The blaze started on the two-storey home's front porch and spread to the house's interior.

The home's two occupants were awoken by smoke alarms and one managed to escape. The other could not make his way through smoke in the house and climbed to the roof where he was rescued by firefighters.

The Ontario Fire Marshal's office has been called in to investigate.

It took firefighters more than an hour to get the blaze under control because of what officials are calling “excessive amounts of combustible materials” in the house.

Damage to the home is estimated at $250,000. A neighbouring house sustained $20,000 in damages.

By ALLAN BENNER, Tribune

Thursday, March 8, 2012 4:33 PM EST

Paul Bernard surveys the damage to his home, at 1 Exeter Rd., which was damaged by a fire Wednesday evening.

Early reports from the territory's coroner confirmed two dead in the blaze, which broke out late Sunday night. But the office said later in the day that could no longer be confirmed.

There was, however, no doubt about the fire's impact.

"Most people have lost everything," Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern said Monday.

Fire broke out in the 22-unit building about 10 p.m. Sunday in -50 C temperatures, Redfern said.

Nothing of it is left.

"It's burned to the ground. It is smouldering and they continue to put water on it but it's just steaming.

"We're trying to account for all the tenants and their families who were staying at the units."

Most of the residents were students at Nunavut Arctic College, along with their spouses, children and other adult family members. The 53 children affected range in age from infants to young adults. They have been accommodated in hotels, the college's old residence and with local people.

Town officials met Monday with the evacuees to discuss their next move.

"It was very difficult," said Redfern.

"Our old residence cafeteria was filled with families and children. It was very emotional. Some people are clearly upset and grieving, some are still in shock — dazed, confused, waiting and wondering where they're going to spend the night and where they're going to live and how they move on."

The fact most of the residents of the apartment were students, living away from their home community, makes it tougher to support the survivors and ensure there aren't more victims, said Redfern.

"Since the majority of the affected individuals appear to be students and their families, they are from other communities. We're very aware they may need support, since they're not residing in their home community.

"We're also trying to make sure that their family members and community are able to confirm that their loved ones are safe."

Grief counsellors have already been made available to the evacuees.

The community is doing what it can.

Nunavut Research Institute is the designated donations centre. The Red Cross is on its way with essentials such as toiletries and vouchers for food and clothing. The food bank has made up grocery baskets. Citizens and businesses are being asked for donations of clothing, bedding and cash.

Officials are looking for at least 20 housing units to accommodate the newly homeless.

That won't be easy. Housing is tight in Iqaluit at the best of times and the there have been a number of fires over the last year in the town of nearly 7,000 people that have reduced the stock even further — including one fire that wiped out 29 units.

"It's been a bad year," said Redfern. "It makes it very difficult and challenging."

But Redfern suggested that between Nunastar — the company that owned the destroyed building — Nunavut Arctic College and the Nunavut government, enough housing is likely to be found to house the evacuees.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze.

— By Bob Weber in Edmonton

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version had an official saying there were at least two dead. RCMP say they cannot confirm that.

By Erica Bajer, Standard Staff

Dec 25, 2011

The cause of a Christmas night high-rise fire that displaced nearly a dozen people for the holidays has been ruled accidental.

The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office completed its investigation Tuesday into the Dec. 25 blaze at 16 Tremont Dr. in St. Catharines, determining it started by accident. An exact cause wasn't released.

The fire started in a first-floor apartment, sending a man and woman to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. The man, who was taken to a Hamilton hospital, remained in serious condition Tuesday but he appeared to be improving, fire officials said. His name hasn't been released.

Residents from five apartment units will remain out of their homes until structural and air quality tests can be completed and the units properly cleaned, said chief fire prevention officer Nancy Macdonald-Duncan.

The blaze broke out at about 9:30 p.m. and caused an estimated $150,000 damage.

The fire was quickly extinguished and mainly contained to one apartment, but a few other first-floor apartments and one on the second floor sustained smoke damage.

Earlier, fire Chief Mark Mehlenbacher said fire doors and a working smoke detector and alarm saved the tenants from what could have been a far worse fate.

"If they didn't have a smoke detector in there, they wouldn't have made it," he said. "It saved their lives."

Macdonald-Duncan said fires are too often part of the festive season.

She hopes the Christmas blaze reminds people to think about fire safety during the holidays.

"Be conscious of things you have this time of year — candles, lights and cooking," she said.

She reminds people not to overload electrical outlets and not to leave candles unattended.

As well, she said, when cooking holiday feasts, don't leave the stove.

Factbox

St. Catharines chief fire prevention officer Nancy Macdonald-Duncan offered these holiday fire safety tips:

_ Water fresh trees daily, and keep them away from ignition sources such as fireplaces, heaters and candles.

— Have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas.

— Have working carbon monoxide alarms.

— Be sure everyone knows how to get out of the house safely in the event of a fire, by having an escape plan.

— Use extension cords wisely and only as a temporary connection. Don't place them under rugs, as this can damage the cords and cause a fire.

— Give space heaters space. Keep them at least one metre from anything that can burn, such as curtains, upholstery or holiday decorations.

— When you go out of a room or the house, blow out candles.

— Watch what you heat — stay in the kitchen when cooking, especially if using oil or high temperatures. If a pot catches fire, carefully slide a tight-fitting lid over it to smother the flame, then turn off the stove.

— Encourage smokers to smoke outside, as careless smoking is the leading cause of fires.

— Keep a close eye on anyone attempting to cook or smoke while under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is often a common factor in fatal fires.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3416686
 

By Standard Staff

Posted January 18, 2012

The St. Catharines fire department is asking local residents to be careful in their kitchens, after firefighters responded to two fires recently that started on stoves.

On Wednesday, a man in a Scott St. apartment was badly burned in a stovetop fire. The blaze was contained to the stove and property damage was minor, but the fire is being investigated by the St. Catharines fire prevention unit and the Ontario Fire Marshal's office.

The other kitchen fire, in which no one was hurt, happened Sunday evening on Roehampton Ave.

Fire officials are reminding people not to leave anything unattended on a stove and ensure there is nothing combustible nearby.

The knowfire.ca initiative is geared at 18-24 year olds, and promotes fire safety and prevention. The two new videos are a great addition to the current content of the site, and focus on the dangers of kitchen fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The videos are thought provoking, and sometimes push the limit to convey the seriousness of having working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, particularly in student housing.

In hopes that students will take head the knowledge that the videos convey, these videos will be posted on knowfire.ca just in time for the rush of students into the Niagara Region this Labour Day weekend.

The work done on the knowfire.ca website has created a more user-friendly interface, with a focus on the attention-getting videos. There is also a new interactive feature to easily locate fire and emergency services in your area.

All of these new changes are a very exciting upgrade to the knowfire.ca initiative, and will definitely get students' attention regarding the importance of fire safety for the upcoming school year.

For schools looking to get involved in the knowfire.ca project, they are encouraged to contact us for more information.

With another school year just around the corner, many students are finalizing their hunt for residence or off-campus housing. As a critical part of that process, a Canadian campus fire safety group says parents should do more to ensure their kids are safe from fire and carbon monoxide threats when they hit the books at university and college.

Knowfire.ca, a one-of-a-kind web site collaboration between Brock University, Niagara College and all fire departments in the Niagara region, was created to inform students and parents about how to avoid, respond to – and escape from – fires that may occur on or off-campus. The collaborative community partnership was inspired by a fire that burned an off-campus rental property to the ground. All five students escaped safely, in part due to a responsible landlord who had installed brand new smoke alarms before school started.

The www.knowfire.ca web site hosts eight professional videos produced by students for students, and their parents. Each targets a different but very real campus fire safety threat. Funds were raised through a unique public/private sector partnership that saw the Niagara regional fire services, Brock University, Niagara College and companies such as Kidde Canada and Duracell support the cause.

“Yes, campus residences typically have fire safety systems, and yes, there are laws outlining the responsibility landlords have in providing fire protection for their tenants,” says Donna Gill, Divisional Chief of Communications for the St. Catharines fire department. “But, no, parents are not being vigilant enough. They need to double-check that all smoke alarms are working. They need to make sure any smoke alarm over 10 years old is replaced. And parents also need to warn their kids about the dangers associated with taking smoke alarms down or removing batteries to quiet false alarms.”

Prevention and school housing officials say the potential for tragedy is very real.

“Think about student life...long hours, cooking, candles, parties, smoking, alcohol,” Inspector Gill says. “The only peace of mind a parent can get is knowing their child is safe. Saying good bye is tough, but never drive away without checking every smoke and CO alarm first.”

She adds, “Sure, you might hear “You're sooo embarrassing!” But it's a small price to pay for knowing your child will have early warning to any fire.”

Campus safety videos can be seen at www.knowfire.ca and more fire protection information is available at www.safeathome.ca.

It’s all about fighting fire with fire.

So when the St. Catharines fire department sets a dorm room at Brock University ablaze next week, albeit a mock one, it will be doing so with the best of intentions.The exercise is an attempt to drive home a safety message to young people, who aren’t necessarily thinking about stacks of books blocking hallways or frayed extension cords ready to spark when they move out on their own.

“When you’re 18 to 24, you’re invincible,” said St. Catharines Fire Chief Mark Mehlenbacher.The department is hoping to overcome that mentality by directly targeting that age group with a fire safety campaign for the first time.The Niagara program — a partnership of Brock University, Niagara College and fire associations — is the first of its kind in the province.Launched in conjunction with orientation week, it will include a web-based campaign of six two-minute videos showing the impact fire can have. Mehlenbacher said nothing brings home the danger of fire faster than watching something burn.“In one to two minutes, you see how fast the fire has burned and how black the smoke is. In one to two minutes, they’re not getting out of their house. That’s how fast things happen.”The initiative was prompted by a number of fires and close calls involving students on and off Ontario campuses last year.

A building fire at McMaster University left 600 students homeless in October, and a Wilfrid Laurier University student died in April after a residence fire.In St. Catharines last November, five Brock students fled their burning Cumming Street home. The fire, believed to be started by a candle, gutted the house.And this July, a mix of Brock and Niagara College students were burned out of their St. Paul Street apartments after a deliberately set blaze in another unit destroyed several residences. Mehlenbacher said there are fire safety programs for children and older people, but nothing for this age group, many of whom don’t think about smoke detectors.But he said today’s fires burn faster and hotter because of the amount of plastic in homes, including computers and televisions. With plastic burning two to three times hotter than wood, people have less time to escape a fire than they did in previous decades.

On Monday night, a three-sided structure filled with furniture and accessories to look like a dorm room will be burned in a campus parking lot. Plexiglass will then be installed in place of the missing wall and the room will be put on display at Brock’s vendor and club fair.The eye-catching display will launch the local video campaign being unveiled Tuesday at www.knowfire.ca. The videos were made over the summer using firefighters and actors.The program is sponsored by Niagara College, Brock University, the Niagara Regional Fire Chiefs Association and the Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association.“Fire safety is paramount in terms of education and information we want to share with them,” said Brigitte Chicki, director of student services at Niagara College.Brad Clarke, manager of student and community outreach at Brock, said it’s vital to ensure fire safety is at the forefront of students’ minds.

Clarke said the campaign’s goal is to reinforce that awareness and show students how to prevent life-threatening situations from occurring.Donna Gill, from the St. Catharines fire prevention office, said the campaign targets not just students, but all young people living away from home in that age bracket. She said the videos aren’t preachy.“This is what the reality is, and here’s how you can avert that tragedy,” she said.“We know they’re going to party. Make sure your ways are clear, make sure the music isn’t too loud so you can hear a smoke alarm go off.”

The major partners of the newly developed knowfire.ca fire safety project for 18-24 year olds will be hosting a viewing of the six knowfire.ca videos. We are pleased to announce that the Ontario Fire Marshal, Patrick Burke will be in attendance tomorrow and available for comments. Spokespersons for the partners will also be available for interviews.

Date: Friday, September 4, 2009
Time: 11:15 a.m.

Location: FourGrounds Media office/production facility at nGen, located at 1 St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines. It is co-located with the St. Catharines and Area Small Business Enterprise Centre at the corner of St. Paul St and Ontario Street.

The partners of the program (Brock University, Niagara College, the Niagara Regional Fire Chief’s Association and the Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association- Niagara Chapter) would like also like to extend an invitation to the media for the official launch of the knowfire.ca website. Niagara Fire Chiefs as well as representatives from Brock University and Niagara College will be on site for interviews and a dorm burn cell will be placed in the courtyard for pictures at the Orientation Week Vendors Fair.

Early Sunday morning, five Brock University students lost their home and most of their possessions. These young men and woman were certainly welcome in our neighbourhood, always chatting, being polite and pleasant and being a part of the community. I certainly wish that all areas of the city were so fortunate as to have students of this calibre. Even at 4 a. m. as their home was aflame, they stood bravely and handled the situation well. To these five young men and woman, thank you for setting the stereotype of what good students should be. Brian Gaudet St. Catharines

By Matthew Van Dongen and Peter Downs, Standard Staff
Source: The St. Catharines Standard

The fire moved fast, but so did friends and family of the five Brock University students burned out of their rented home Sunday.

A day after their Cumming Street house was gutted by fire, the students have found a new Thorold rental home with the help of their former landlord, Heather Strachan.

"We've got a house, we're staying together, and we've got Heather to thank for that," said a tired, but smiling, Ivan Tjan, 24, sitting in Strachan's crowded kitchen with the rest of his housemates Monday night.

Read the full artcile at The St. Catharines Standard.