Rooming house owner facing charges after fatal fire
Posted January 21, 2016 1:38 pm.
Last Updated January 21, 2016 3:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The owner of a rooming house is facing charges after a fatal fire last month.
The two-alarm fire broke out in the basement of a home on Birkdale Road, in the Midland Avenue and Ellesmere Road area, around 6 a.m. on Dec.29 The fire was knocked down just after 6:30 a.m.
There were seven people in the home at the time, with two families living in the first floor and basement. Four people were taken to hospital, one of whom later died.
A Toronto Fire investigation found that there were actually nine people living in the home, sharing six bedrooms.
The investigation also found numerous fire code violations, including incorrect use of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire separations, number of exits and fire-rated doors.
“There is no doubt in our mind that the absence of working smoke alarms and early detection absolutely affected the ability of the occupants to safely evacuate.” Deputy fire chief Jim Jessop explains.
Both the owner of the home and a tenant who was sub-renting to others were charged.
The penalties for Fire Code violations run up to $50,000 and/or a year in jail for individuals and up to $100,000 for a corporation.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
