In January, a fire at a residence on Riverside Dr in Lower Sackville claimed the lives of children and two injured. The children were aged 5, 6 and 9 years of age. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical, and HRFE say no working fire alarms were found in the home.
However, a smoke detector was discovered in the home but had the battery removed, rendering it useless.
Again in January, multiple fire crews responded to a structure fire on Thompson St in Dartmouth. Once again, fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be electrical. In this case, there were no smoke detectors discovered in the home. There were two adult fatalities from this fire.
The HRFE emphasized proper smoke detector installation and maintenance, and they want to remind the public that if you need a detector installed or checked on, you can contact 311 and fire will be happy to have your home installed with a new detector.
They also want to remind residents that charging devices should never be done when you are not home, and keeping charging devices off of materials that can catch fire quickly such as off your blankets or pillows, is important.
Charging your devices on sturdy and solid devices such as tables is more desirable as they are slower to catch fire, allowing you to react quickly in the case of a fire.
For home owners, please ensure you have working fire alarms. Again, you can call 311 for assistance if need be. For renters, it is a shared responsibility to ensure you have proper and working smoke detectors in your building. 311 can assist if you have questions or concerns.
Multiple fire units assisted by multiple EHS and police responded to both fires. In tragic cases such as these two fires, emergency crews provide resources for their units to cope with the grief. And in both communities, community support has been provided through various agencies, as well as government provided grief phone and online resources.
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Statement via the Halifax Professional Firefighters
"Our members were among the first on scene at both incidents and worked under extremely difficult conditions to do everything possible. These events weigh heavily on all first responders
involved.
While investigators have determined the fires were accidental in nature, the loss of life shows the need for strong public fire safety measures and accessible prevention resources"
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A full copy of the released fire investigation summaries is below, as well as a link to smoke detector use and safety provided by the HRFE.
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**** Via HRFE
Fire Investigation Summaries
1562 Riverside Drive, Lower Sackville
January 11, 2025
This fire involved a Semi-Attached Dwelling. There were two injuries and three fatalities. The area of origin was the basement TV room. The ignition source was Electrical. There were no operating smoke alarms. The cause of this fire is classified as ACCIDENTAL.
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1 Thompson Street, Dartmouth
January 24, 2025
This fire involved a Detached Dwelling. There were no injuries and two fatalities. The area of origin was the living room. The ignition source was Electrical. There were no operating smoke alarms. The cause of this fire is classified as ACCIDENTAL.
._____________________________
January 11, 2025
This fire involved a Semi-Attached Dwelling. There were two injuries and three fatalities. The area of origin was the basement TV room. The ignition source was Electrical. There were no operating smoke alarms. The cause of this fire is classified as ACCIDENTAL.
.________________________________
1 Thompson Street, Dartmouth
January 24, 2025
This fire involved a Detached Dwelling. There were no injuries and two fatalities. The area of origin was the living room. The ignition source was Electrical. There were no operating smoke alarms. The cause of this fire is classified as ACCIDENTAL.
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Repost - Working Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Save Lives
** Release
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