Saanich’s tent city is at significant risk of a catastrophic fire that could destroy property and ultimately cost lives, Saanich Fire Chief Michael Burgess testified Monday in B.C. Supreme Court.
Burgess made the comments to John Heaney, the lawyer representing the campers in their battle to remain in the encampment. Saanich and the province are petitioning the court for an injunction to remove 110 people from Regina Park. On the opening day of what is expected to be a three-day hearing, Heaney cross-examined the fire chief on his affidavit about fire hazards at the tent city, located across the highway from Uptown.
“The risk in itself is extremely high when we consider the type of materials and the fuel loading that is within the encampment,” said Burgess.
Tents are crammed together with no means of leaving them safely. Propane bottles and gas cans are being kept in tents. Synthetic and polyester materials, which the tents and sleeping bags are made of, burn very rapidly and bond to peoples’ skin, said Burgess.
“There are catastrophic effects and destruction, not just to property but to the individuals involved. The risk to life is significant,” said Burgess. “Very recently, we attended a similar area at the corner of Blanshard and Saanich Road where, thank God, there was not an encampment, but similar green space. It went up in less than four minutes, gone in its entirety.”
If the fire had been in Regina Park — particularly considering the “various levels of consciousness some people are in and out of” — firefighters would have been hard-pressed to respond to and extinguish the flames without anybody being harmed.
The fire department became concerned about an accumulation of combustibles and fire hazards in late May. Since then, officers have been trying to educate residents about fire prevention, Burgess said.
Heaney asked the fire chief why the department has not provided water or fire extinguishers or trained residents how to suppress small fires. Nanaimo’s tent city has running water and B.C. Housing provided 10 fire extinguishers to the former tent city on the lawn behind the Victoria courthouse, said Heaney.
Training residents in fire suppression would send a message that the campers aren’t at risk and would potentially provide a false sense of security, Burgess replied.
Residents have been told how to bring the risk of fire down to an acceptable level, said Burgess. But campers continue to smoke. One member of the camp’s fire-safety committee fell asleep at a meeting and his cigarette fell onto the grass, the chief noted.
Outside court, residents of Saanich encampment — known as Camp Namegans — and tent cities in Nanaimo and Maple Ridge gathered to protest the court action.
Alliance Against Displacement spokeswoman Ashley Mollison said if campers are removed they will be scattered into perilous and unhealthy conditions in alleys and parks around Saanich and Victoria.
“This application is just one example of the government’s efforts to break up tent cities before the winter begins in southern B.C.” said Mollison. “Rather than spend public money on housing and services for homeless and low-income people, governments in Maple Ridge, Nanaimo and Saanich are investing in displacing and punishing homeless people. It feeds a rising anti-poor and anti-homeless populism that has recently exploded in Nanaimo with two homeless-bashing protests by far-right anti-immigration hate groups.”
Activist Chrissy Brett said it’s horrifying that regular citizens are treated far differently than the homeless.
“The chief admitted that regular citizens are provided fire training when they’ve refused our request to come in and do fire suppression training with people from our fire council,” said Brett.
“We feel so much safer than people on the street, being together as a community,” said Cori Mitchell from DisconTent City in Nanaimo.
“We just want a home. That’s all we need,” said Willy McGillivray.
Maple Ridge camper Ivan Drury said it’s more dangerous to separate people.
“They won’t give us anything to keep us safe, but they worry about our safety,” he said.
