Saint John crews have tackled 450 encampment-related fires so far this year: chief

The Saint John Fire Department chief says crews have responded to roughly 450 fire-related calls at encampments in the Port City so far this year.

In all of 2023, crews responded to roughly 300 fires at encampments.

“If we look at the numbers of unhoused that are in our community this year and it is higher than 2023,” Chief Rob Nichol says regarding the possible reasons for an uptick in calls.

Only 15 of the approximately 450 fires have been considered major. The latest fire burnt an encampment structure near the TD Station on Oct. 25.

The overwhelming majority of calls are for small rubbish fires or fires related to cooking that can be extinguished in a matter of minutes.

As the nights drop to, or below, the freezing mark, there are concerns among the department fire calls at encampments could rise as unhoused people search for warmth. The concern isn’t only for the residents of these sites, but for fire crews as well.

“We're going to up the frequency of the visits,” Nichol says, referring to regular visits crews have been making throughout the year to ensure encampments are safe. “We have found those somewhat effective. There's a bit of a relationship that the crews can make with some of the unhoused. They recognize that we're not there to cause issues, we’re there for safety and really want to help them.”

The visits also help crews better understand the challenges that could be present at the site if they are called for an emergency.

Nichol notes the constant calls can caused burnout for crews and other first responders.

“The difficulty is that when you go to these scenes, there's a pretty good chance you're going to be back again,” says Nichol. “That does take its toll on the crews. We wish we could be part of a solution and not just kind of react to something that's already happened.”

Nichol says the best way to avoid fire risks is for unhoused residents to find a shelter bed. If that isn’t possible, he advises people to not alter their heating devices in any way, and to ensure there is a clear path to the exit of the tent or shelter in the case of an emergency.

Those who work closely with the unhoused know fire concerns will be on the rise.

“You’re having people basically choose between, ‘Do I freeze to death or do I light this fire?’” says Nick Shepard, outreach coordinator for Fresh Start Services. “‘There's the potential that I might accidently harm myself, or I might fall asleep because I haven't slept in three days.’”

Three people have died in encampment fires in Saint John this year. Shepard understands and appreciates the public’s concern anytime they see smoke at an encampment, which more often than not is from various cooking appliances.

Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon says plans for an out of the cold shelter will move ahead once the provincial government returns to the legislature in November. Next month the city will also announce “zones” for when encampments can be within the city in an attempt to better manage them and limit potential dangerous situations.

“We need to make sure that people in encampments are safe, and we need to make sure that the neighbourhoods that the encampments are in are also safe,” Mayor Reardon says. “We want to make sure that we're working towards (encampments) ending at some point in time.”

The mayor notes she has also reached out to the federal government for funding to help address encampment concerns and get many people off the streets permanently. 

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