Sudbury adding second burn barrel at Energy Court encampment

Greater Sudbury Fire Services responded to 63 unauthorized fires across the city in October, most set by people trying to keep warm, the deputy chief says.

As the colder weather sets in, those who live outside are searching for ways to keep warm, but Greater Sudbury Fire Services wants to make sure those heat sources are safe and don’t set fire to nearby structures or woods.

Greater Sudbury Deputy Fire Chief Nathan Melin told CTV News his crews were called to 63 unauthorized fires across the city during October. Melin said that averages about two per day, many of them in the downtown core.

“As these fires can spread and if they do catch the building or other combustible materials can put additional people at risk,” Melin said.

He said most of those fires were started by people trying to keep warm as the temperature gets colder.

“Any uncontrolled or unattended fire can be extremely dangerous and we are concerned with those,” Melin said.

To mitigate the risk of unauthorized fires getting out of control and spreading at the Energy Court encampment, Melin said fire prevention officers will be visiting the site over the next few weeks to provide education. Fire services also said it will add a second burn barrel at the encampment for additional warmth.

“As a response to some of the calls that our crews have been going to, they recommended an additional burn barrel be implemented there,” Melin said, adding the number of occupants in the encampment prevented many from surrounding the barrel for warmth.

Melin said when fire services added the burn barrel last January it helped reduce the number of fire calls to the encampment.

“When we had only the one it was very busy. There would be large groups of individuals kind of surrounding that barrel,” said Evie Ali, executive director of The Go-Give Project, which operates the Energy Court warming facility.

“We didn’t have enough heat source sort of for everyone who was trying accessing it. So, by adding a second (burn barrel) it’s increasing that accessibility. The demand and the need was demonstrated with just the singular barrel.”

Ali said the Go Give Project and its outreach team work with authorities across the city and will report any unsafe fires if they encounter them.