Hamilton Hearth officers say they’re seeing a rise of fires over the previous few years, with practically half of the blazes taking place in properties with out working smoke alarms.
A fireplace at a house on Limeridge Highway West Monday afternoon is likely one of the newest blazes in Hamilton to occur.
Hamilton Hearth Chief David Cunliffe instructed CHCH Information that the extent of construction fires usually has been rising considerably since 2020.
“We’re really actually trending in the wrong direction,” he stated.
Cunliffe says there have been fires everywhere in the metropolis with three wards seeing a constant rise over the previous 5 years.
“Wards 2, 3 and 4 – we see the majority of fires, actually over 50 per cent of the fires that are happening, structure fires that are happening in the city are happening in those three wards,” he stated.
The hearth chief additionally stated he was disturbed how in over 50 per cent of fires in residential occupancies, the division was seeing no working smoke alarms.
Councilor of ward 4 Tammy Hwang says she’s not too shocked by these findings.
“A lot of that can be attributed to older housing stock – when you’re trying to buy one of those cheap electrical outlets that expand the use of outlets on a potentially smaller system, you’re really overtaxing what your electrical system is doing,” she stated.
The Insurance coverage Bureau of Canada stated in a press release to CHCH Information, “There are many factors that insurers consider when assessing the risks associated with a particular property.” The assertion additional reads that the excessive frequency of fires may doubtlessly affect insurance coverage prices.
Hamilton metropolis officers are reminding residents that working smoke alarms may also help save lives, particularly shifting into the colder months the place it turns into essential to concentrate on potential electrical hazards.
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