2 dead in encampment fires as Edmontonians living on the street brace for winter
'These are human beings and it's just horrible because it feels like nobody cares.'
A string of recent fires at homeless encampments scattered across central Edmonton have left two people dead and a third person with serious burns.
People on the frontlines of Edmonton's homelessness crisis say the fatal fires are a sobering reminder of the growing need for shelter and the dangers ahead for people living on the streets this winter.
Aaron Sharphead, a 30-year-old Cree man from Edmonton, has been living in tent downtown since March. He sleeps each night with a candle lit and wakes every morning with the tent covered in wax.
During the coldest of nights he will place alcohol wipes in a tin can and light them on fire, choosing the warmth of an open flame over the relative safety of an unheated tent.
"Any one of those cold nights, my shelter could go up in flames," he said. "It's just really immobilizing to say the least."
Sharphead said governments have repeatedly failed to provide enough shelter and supportive housing spaces in Edmonton, leaving hundreds to sleep rough outside.
The fatal fires are a stark reminder of how much help is still needed to alleviate the crisis, he said.
"It's sad to have to live this way but unfortunately, some of us do have to live this way. " he said. "And what we gather every day to build our houses can all go up in flames, as we saw this weekend. It's just heartbreaking."
A 54-year-old man and a woman believed to be in her twenties died in the fires.
The man died Saturday after a tent fire broke out in an encampment in the area of 100 Street and 105A Avenue. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services crews were called to the scene around 7 p.m.
Police said the man's death does not appear to be suspicious, but investigators are awaiting further details from Edmonton Fire Rescue Services and the Chief Medical Examiner.
Watch | Two dead after encampment fires:
The woman died on Sunday a few blocks away after a fire broke out inside a tent at 95 Street and 105A Avenue. Once the flames were extinguished, the woman, who has yet to be identified by investigators, was discovered dead inside.
Then, on Monday, fire crews responded to another fire which broke out in the area of 105A Avenue and 100 Street. One person was taken to hospital around 6:30 p.m. with burn injuries.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services Chief Joe Zatylny said preventing deadly encampment fires remains a priority. He declined to participate in an interview Tuesday but issued a statement offering his condolences to the victims' families.
Judith Gale, leader for the outreach group Bear Claw Beaver Hills House, said the deaths show that Edmonton is failing to care for its most vulnerable.
She said the number of recent deaths within the homeless community is unacceptable and allowing hundreds of people to sleep in the street, exposed to the elements, is shameful.
She said people living on the street feel discarded and afraid.
"These are human beings and it's just horrible because it feels like nobody cares," she said through tears.
Deadly season
Jordan Reiniger, executive director of Boyle Street Community Services, said the fatal fires are part of a concerning pattern.
According to Boyle Street Community Services, 118 of their clients died between the end of June and the first week of October — the deadliest period since they began keeping data on the deaths in 2020.
"Every trend that we're seeing is moving in a bad direction," Reiniger said Tuesday.
"While it's horrifying, it's not surprising."
Reiniger said governments claim to be committed to public safety but those promises do not extend to people who are living in extreme poverty.
Without swift and immediate action to provide more shelter to Edmontonians in need, Reiniger said he expects more people will die on the street this winter.
He said all levels of government need to take accountability for the crisis.
With temperatures already dropping, officials need to focus on simply keeping people alive through winter, he said.
"More than a person a day is now dying on our streets. And we can't be OK with that as a society. Whatever is happening now is not good enough."
'We need help'
The city estimates there are more than 2,800 people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton, including more than 750 who are unsheltered, meaning they frequently sleep outside.
In an interview with reporters Tuesday, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the city continues to do all it can to provide adequate shelter to those in need.
He said, there will be 1,700 additional shelter beds in place before winter arrives, ensuring that people do not need to sleep outside.
He said, however, the federal and provincial governments need to do more.
"This is a crisis which is beyond the capacity of the city to manage," Sohi said. "We need help."
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With files from Julia Wong