No injuries reported in latest Saint John encampment fire

No injuries were reported in the latest tent fire to happen in Saint John.

Saint John Fire Department responded to reports of an explosion of a propane cylinder at Haymarket Square, at the end of Waterloo Street, around 8:17 p.m. Tuesday night. Eight firefighters and one command unit responded to the scene.

“Crews were on the scene for approximately one hour,” says Saint John Deputy Fire Chief Ed Moyer. “One encampment was completely destroyed, but we didn't find anybody in the encampment, so we’re not sure if it was unoccupied or not.”

The Saint John Fire Department has battled hundreds of encampment-related fires in 2024.

Nick Shepard, the outreach services coordinator for Fresh Start Services, is thankful no one was hurt in Tuesday’s tent fire. He says the ongoing fires highlight the need for safer options for the cities unhoused population.

“The risk of fire intense,” says Shepard on the realities for those living on the streets in the cold winter nights. “We've seen a lot of our larger encampments start to disperse and try to find warmer accommodations, but there's a lot of people who can't access shelter because they're at capacity right now. The risk is always present there for fire, significant injury and death.”

The sentiments are echoed by Ivan McCullough, who is a co-founder of Street Team SJ. He says the numbers suggest there are 150 people in Saint John suffering from chronic homelessness.

“Be kind, it’s really quite that simple,” says McCullough on how residents can help the unhoused over the next few months. “No one needs to be sober or drug free or not suffer from any illnesses of the mind to be deserving of shelter, warmth, food, and kindness.”

In a social media post, Saint John Mayor Donna Reardon says she spoke with Social Development Minister Cindy Miles Wednesday morning about the city’s ongoing encampments and homeless situation.

The call was set up by the Social Development minister and was planned before the Haymarket Square fire. The mayor says she is encouraged by the fact the minister is reaching out to the municipality to find solutions.

“I thought it was great,” says Reardon. “We want to be partners, which is a line I love. The only way for us to solve and to work through this issue is to be a partner with the province, so I was happy to hear that.”

She says Miles will visit Saint John in the near future.

“We remain committed to ensuring anyone who needs a safe, warm space to sleep has one every day of the year, but especially now as the winter weather sets in,” reads a statement from the minister’s office.

Help for the unhoused is on the horizon, with a new shelter set to open by weeks end on Rothesay Avenue in Saint John. The shelter will be able to sleep 60 residents and have access to washrooms and warming areas.

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