Answering Your Questions from the Hanwell Drive Fire

**** Via Halifax Professional Firefighters Answering Your Questions from the Hanwell Drive Fire Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this devastating fire. We’ve received a number of questions about why this fire spread so quickly and how building features factored in. Here are a few key points: 1. Sprinklers Sprinklers were present but do not cover every part of a building. Areas such as exterior walls, balconies, roof voids, and attics are often left unprotected. Once fire reaches these spaces, sprinklers cannot stop the spread. 2. Fire Spread On arrival, fire fighters immediately began an aggressive offensive fire attack. Despite their best efforts, the fire had already spread rapidly up the building and into the roof, where no sprinklers were present. 3. Firewalls & Voids Modern multi-unit construction often has large concealed spaces. Once fire breaches these voids, it can move quickly between units and into the roof structure, overwhelming fire separations, if present. 4. Our Members’ Response Our members deployed immediately with the resources available. The challenges were staffing, water supply, and building vulnerabilities — not tactics. Fires in today’s buildings can move with incredible speed. That’s why Halifax residents deserve building standards, equipment, and staffing levels that match the risks of modern construction.