Regina fire department shuts down city hall homeless encampment
CTV
Regina’s Fire Chief Layne Jackson says he has enacted the Fire Safety Act at the city hall tent encampment meaning those living there must vacate the area as soon as possible.
Regina’s Fire Chief Layne Jackson says he has enacted the Fire Safety Act at the city hall tent encampment meaning those living there must vacate the area as soon as possible.
Jackson said following a fire early Thursday morning that resulted in one tent being destroyed and two intentional fires on Wednesday, the camp is being decommissioned immediately due to safety concerns for residents.
“This action is absolutely required as the appropriate response to an imminent risk to the safety of those in the encampment,” Jackson said.
According to Jackson, no one was injured in the fire Thursday morning but he said the situation could have been much worse.
“This morning’s fire was significant and of particular concern to me, this was a fully involved fire,” Jackson said.
Jackson said if the fire had occurred in a more densely populated area of the encampment, it’s his belief there would have been fatalities.
Jackson said Regina police will be a partner while the camp is shut down but did not say exactly what would happen if residents did not vacate the premises.
