On June 13, 1886 what began as a land-clearing brush fire was spread out of control by strong winds. The fire claimed dozens of lives and leveled all but a few structures in the newly incorporated city. The fire went down in history as the Great Vancouver Fire.
The body of Cache Creek Fire Chief Clayton Cassidy has been found near the bridge washout where he disappeared nearly a month ago. Chief Cassidy was with the Cache Creek Volunteer Fire Department for over 30 years and received the Medal of Good Citizenship from Premier Christy Clark in 2016. Our hearts go out to his family and the community of Cache Creek.
Health Canada is warning consumers that lamp oils and other related products sold by Firefly do not have child-resistant closures or display proper warning information. Health Canada has asked Firefly to voluntarily recall the products but has received no response. The products were available through Amazon.ca, where they are no longer available for sale.
A seventeen year old girl and a caregiver died in a fire in a group home near Lindsay, Ontario in February of this year. The victims were trapped in a room where the exit door was bolted shut. In Ontario foster homes and group homes operate under different licensing requirements and fire code regulations.
In towns in Canada served by volunteer fire departments recruitment has become a huge issue. Because many volunteer departments follow the same training guidelines as paid fire departments the time commitment, for people who in many cases already hold down a full-time job, is significant and is proving to be a deterrent to volunteers.
FireSmart Canada, in partnership with The Cooperators, has developed the “FireSmart Home Development Guide”. The Guide contains specific measures homeowners can take to reduce the risk of wildfire damage, including choices of building materials and building design. The Guide is now available to all Canadians.
Carrier Corporation has recalled certain heat pumps because the capacitors in the control board may stop working, causing the unit to overheat, posing a fire hazard. Approximately 2,000 of the units were sold in Canada.
An inquest looking into the deaths of two Ontario firefighters during training for ice rescues has heard rescue operations in icy, swift water are rarely successful. Private safety training courses in the province are unregulated and the Ontario Fire College does not offer ice rescue training.