The fire plague

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/07/2011 (5209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

According to the firefighters union, Winnipeg has been the arson and fire capital of Canada for the last 20 years, as well as the worst city in the country for fire deaths. The reasons are difficult to discern, but they relate in part to the poverty rate, the large stock of older housing and buildings, and the concentration in the inner city of a disaffected underclass.

The inner city, for example, has long been a fire zone with a high rate of incendiary or deliberately set fires. In fact, nearly half of all Winnipeg fires are incendiary or suspicious. It became an issue in 1999 when the city launched a full-scale assault on the problem, as well as establishing the arson strike force.

The problem is still there, it’s just not on the public’s radar anymore.

The rash of fires in Fort Rouge, however, is a concern because it represents the spread of a problem that had previously been confined to the core area. There’s always a spike in fires in the summer in every neighbourhood, but the Fort Rouge experience is somewhat unprecedented for a middle-class district.

The first task is to bring it to an end through increased police patrols and surveillance. Residents also have to be vigilant and they should be fixing broken fences and cleaning up debris to reduce the opportunities for ignition. Without arrests, it is difficult to understand the motivations behind the fires, or even if they are the work of many people or just one firebug.

The other lesson is that fire safety is everyone’s business and concern and not something police alone can guarantee. When it comes to fire, you are your brother’s keeper.