Outdated construction methods used in Centretown’s oldest homes make them more vulnerable to fast-spreading fires, says the Ottawa Fire Service.
The danger was illustrated earlier this month when an unattended candle started a fire at 546 Gilmour Street. The fire quickly spread to two neighbouring homes, causing $2 million in damage and leaving 12 to 15 people homeless.
“With older types of construction like this there is greater opportunity for fires to spread,” says Marc Messier, information officer for the Ottawa Fire Service. “The fire started on the second floor, got into the wall, and from there spread like wildfire into other units.”
The potential for fires to spread quickly in older homes means fast response times are important.
“Unless we get there very quickly we usually see severe damage,” Messier says.
Construction methods that predate the modern Ontario Fire Code mean fires can easily spread in older homes, Messier says.
There have been five major fires causing $100,000 or more in damage in Centretown since October, according to the city’s website.
As one of the city’s older neighbourhoods, fast spreading fires are common in Centretown, says Bruce Elliot, a professor of local history at Carleton University.
"Much of the housing stock in Centretown was built well before modern fire codes in the late 19th century," says Elliot. "The old balloon framing method means wide spaces between walls for flames to climb up."
Balloon framing is a type of wooden construction frame that was popular in areas where lumber was readily available.
Early fire insurance records show Centretown was one of the safer neighbourhoods based on the large number of brick buildings, he says.
“At the time, building homes with brick and concrete was considered a form of fire prevention,” Elliot says.
Today, the Ontario Fire Code calls for much stricter measures to contain fires where they start. Fire-stops between floors and walls can delay the spread of flames between rooms and apartments by up to 30 minutes, according to the Fire Code.
Messier says the Code does not apply to the older homes in Centretown unless the owner decides to retrofit them for other uses.
Kathleen Burns is a Carleton University student who lives down the street from the Gilmour houses that caught fire.
“It makes you wonder how safe your own place is,” she says.
The Ottawa Fire Service stresses fire prevention but also says working smoke detectors and a planned escape route save lives when fires do break out.