Chatham-Kent fire officials are concerned after they discovered there were no working smoke alarms in several apartment units.
Firefighters responded to a six-plex located at 15 Sudbury Drive Wednesday morning just before 8 a.m.
The tenant living in unit #1 was concerned about heat coming from the upstairs bathroom walls and ceiling.
Crews did an interior search of the attic and found smoke and flames smothering above the location of the bathroom.
Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire and prevented it from spreading to other areas of the unit.
While firefighters were completing their routine checks of alarms, they discovered that the unit did not have any working smoke alarms.
Crews checked the other units in the complex and the units of the neighbouring complex (19 Sudbury Drive) and found serval alarms were expired or without working batteries. The rental properties are owned and operated by the same individual.
“It is very clear this incident could have been extremely serious or even had a tragic outcome, had the fire not been discovered when it was,” says public educator Whitney Burk. “If community members are concerned about their alarms, they can request a CHiRP Home Alarm Check and we will take a look.”
CKFES has ruled the fire accidental, however investigations continue on scene.
“Renters need to know their rights,” says fire inspector Scott Doman. “It is the landlord's responsibility to install and maintain working alarms. There is zero tolerance in Ontario for fire code violations.”
Failure to comply with the fire code smoke alarm requirements could result in a ticket for $360 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.
For more information on landlord and tenant rights and responsibility visit the Ontario Fire Code: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r14194
