Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said Thursday’s fire at a homeless encampment on Wesley Street underscores how dangerous and untenable the camp has become.
The fire prompted the evacuation and relocation of everyone sheltering in the area.
Firefighters with Nanaimo Fire Rescue were called to Wesley Street around 12:15 p.m. Thursday after reports that several tents were on fire and propane tanks had exploded.
Assistant Fire Chief Brad Wood said the fire was close to an adjacent building, but the structure did not catch fire. Firefighters put out the blaze within minutes. No one was injured and fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire, Wood said.
Because of the proximity to City of Nanaimo offices and the risk of further explosions, the Service and Resource Centre was briefly evacuated.
Bylaw officers and firefighters evacuated all tents in the 400 block of Wesley Street and closed the area to the public, Deputy Fire Chief Tim Doyle said in a statement.
“Agencies are in the process of decamping the occupants, securing the site and making it safe,” he said, adding that the city is in contact with provincial partners to support the affected residents.
Krog said this is the third fire this fall at the homeless camp of about two dozen tents.
“As much as we’re all sympathetic and appreciative of the horrors of living literally in the street and tenting out at this time of year, at the same time the close proximity [of the tents] is just a recipe for potential serious injury and death,” Krog told the Times Colonist.
“We are probably very fortunate that no one was seriously injured today, given the nature of the fire and explosions with propane tanks there.”
In October, Nanaimo RCMP and Nanaimo bylaw officers removed some tents and combustible materials after concerns were raised about fire hazards.
Krog said the city is working with B.C. Housing to come up with housing options, but said he believes the fires demonstrate that this has become an emergency situation.
“I hope this will draw attention from the provincial government, who need to acknowledge that the mental health and addiction crisis in our streets requires serious attention,” Krog said, adding that municipalities lack the resources to deal with the crisis.
Krog said people with severe mental health and addiction problems would be safer in secure facilities with proper staffing and support.
“This cannot continue,” he said. “The risks are great and the danger to public safety, both for the occupants, our staff and first responders, it’s a real and present danger.”
