Fire deaths tragedy in 2010
FIRE DEATHS 2010’S BIGGEST TRAGEDY IN
ATLANTIC CANADA: RED CROSS
DARTMOUTH, NS -- The Canadian Red Cross says 2010 was a year of significant disasters affecting thousands of people in the Atlantic provinces but the statistic it considers the most tragic is that at least 33 people died in residential fires – an appalling 206-per-cent increase over such fatalities the year before.
“Our volunteers were called upon at least 162 times in 2010 to assist more than 629 people who were forced from their homes by fires, often to provide emergency lodging and food, or clothing for those who may have escaped with nothing but what they were wearing,” said Bill Lawlor, director of disaster management for the Atlantic region with the Canadian Red Cross. “But the saddest cases were those where, on top of material losses, families faced the horror of losing a loved one, or where Red Cross assistance was not needed since those occupying the home perished.”
All four Atlantic provinces saw fire-related fatalities in 2010 including at least 11 deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador, 10 in New Brunswick, nine in Nova Scotia and three in Prince Edward Island. The total of 33 deaths compared with only 16 in 2009.
“The majority of fire-related deaths occur in residences that have no smoke alarm or a non-working alarm,” says Benoit Laroche of Fredericton, president of the Canadian Council of Fire Marshals and Fire Commissioners. “Just having a working smoke alarm substantially improves the likelihood of surviving a fire, not to mention avoiding injury and minimizing losses.”
Poorly installed or maintained combustion heat sources like fireplaces, wood stoves and chimneys, unattended stoves, smoking materials, overloaded electrical circuits or extension cords, or electrical devices with frayed or loose wiring are among common causes of residential fires, which occur in Canada more often in winter months.
“We also see fires – including fatalities – from people using propane torches to thaw frozen water pipes,” added Laroche, who is New Brunswick’s Fire Marshal. “The cost of calling in a professional to install devices to prevent freezing, or to safely unthaw pipes if it occurs, pales against the consequences of a fire.”
Both organizations recommend that in addition to working smoke detectors, every household - whether one person or several - should have an emergency plan and an emergency kit. Details on preparing both are available online.
Although fires accounted for the largest percentage of Canadian Red Cross disaster responses in the Atlantic region during the past year, natural disasters impacted far more people – from flooding and storm surges in January and again in December, to late spring and summer forest fires, to Hurricane Igor in September.
The Red Cross network of about 900 highly trained disaster volunteers in Atlantic Canada responded to calls from fire and police departments and civic authorities an average of once every two days in 2010, for fires, floods, evacuations and other local disasters or emergencies that impacted at least 13,920 people, of whom the Red Cross provided direct aid to more than 2,003.
“For the Canadian Red Cross, our New Year’s resolution for 2011 in the Atlantic region is to boost our capacity to respond to disasters, which includes recruiting more volunteers, adding or expanding training facilities and our inventories of disaster supplies, and forging closer links with provincial and municipal authorities and the business community,” said Lawlor.
Most Red Cross disaster services are funded by donations. Donations can be made online or by calling toll-free 1-800-418-1111.
