Encampments must be removed for public safety, says Edmonton fire chief

As a court battle unfolds over a plan to dismantle hundreds of makeshift shelters in Edmonton's core, the city's fire chief says all homeless encampments are dangerous and must be torn down.

During a year-end news conference Tuesday, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services Chief Joe Zatylny said encampments pose a risk to the public, to first responders and the people who rely on them for shelter. 

"Encampments are unsafe," he said. "We're seeing injuries and deaths related to fires among in our most vulnerable. None of that is acceptable, and so the resources need to be put in place.

"The people need the help they need. And we need to take down the encampments — absolutely."

'Very vulnerable'

Advocates for people experiencing homelessness say the planned sweeps would endanger the health and safety of camp residents who may struggle to find alternative housing in a shelter system which is often over capacity.

Zatylny said the fire service has never supported the presence of homeless camps in the city. But simply tearing them down is not the answer, he said. Removals need to be done in a way that ensures residents have access to services, including housing and addictions care, he said. 

"It's not just as simple as taking down a tent," Zatylny said. "These are people who are very vulnerable." 

He said the risk of fires and explosions in encampments is high as people often light small fires or rely on makeshift propane stoves inside their tents to stay warm.

He said the types of materials being burned, and the remote locations where encampment fires often happen, can make them challenging to fight.

Between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30 of this year in Edmonton, two people died in encampment fires and another 19 people were injured.

In 2022, four people died in encampment fires and six others were injured.

Crews have responded to 105 encampment fires this year compared to 140 last year. 

A legal dispute over encampments escalated last week after front-line agencies learned of a plan to remove between 118 and 135 makeshift shelters at eight sites in central Edmonton that police had deemed high risk. 

The removals by police officers were set to begin Monday but the plan was paused after a wave of public backlash and a request for an emergency injunction.

Late on Monday afternoon, Court of King's Bench Justice Kent Davidson extended an emergency injunction and set conditions to be met before the encampments can be removed.

Before proceeding, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Police Service must issue notice again to people living in the encampments, and make sure alternative accommodations are available.

The pause on removals will last until Jan. 11, when court will hear an earlier injunction application from the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, which has launched a lawsuit arguing the city's encampment policy is unconstitutional. 

Overdose crisis 

The injunction will not change how fire crews respond to encampment fires, but removing them should remain a priority, Zatylny said.

A year ago, he said reducing the number of fatal encampment fires would be a priority for the service. 

On Tuesday, he said seeing the death toll continue to rise has been difficult. As winter sets in, he fears more people will be hurt, he said.

The fire service is also contending with a dramatic increase in overdose calls, most of them related to suspected opioid poisonings in downtown and central Edmonton, Zatylny said. 

In 2022, the service responded to 6,552 overdose calls. To date this year it has responded to more than 8,520 overdose calls, he said.

Zatylny characterized the increase as a crisis that continues to take a toll on first responders. 

The increase year-over-year is not sustainable," he said. "These are difficult calls."

The fire service is reviewing its deployment practices for medical calls due an overall increase in demand. 

Of the more than 90,000 calls for service that fire crews have responded to this year, about 70 per cent were for medical assistance.

A total of 1,068 fires have been investigated this year, adding up to $79.6 million in losses.

Cooking and smoking-material fires remain the top preventable causes for fires in the city. Arson is also a concern. 

As of Nov. 30, the service had responded to 334 deliberately set fires resulting in $26.7 million in losses in fire damage.