Owner charged after fire in Orillia student housing rental unit

The owner of 66 Pearl Dr. in Orillia is facing smoke alarm related charges under the Ontario Fire Code after a tenant’s careless use of a candle caused a fire in late November.

“Candles can create a peaceful ambiance, but that can quickly change. A candle is an open flame and if left unattended or ignored can become a serious fire hazard. Candles are a major cause of house fires in Ontario,” said Jeff Kirk, Orillia Deputy Fire Chief.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 20, 2015, the Orillia Fire Department responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire in a bedroom at a home on Pearl Drive. Fire fighters entered the structure where they found thick, fast moving smoke in a rented first-floor bedroom. Fire fighters successfully extinguished the fire and vented heat and smoke from the building.

Illegal student housing has become a concern in recent years with the expansion of post-secondary institutions in Orillia. Homes with rented rooms are considered single-family dwellings when there are only four rooms rented out. Ontario and municipal regulations require additional safety features and permissions for homes where more than four rooms are rented.

Working smoke alarms are required on every level of a single-family dwelling and outside all sleeping areas. The Orillia Fire Department recommends adding extra protection by installing smoke alarms in each sleeping room, particularly for student housing. For more information on smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements visit http://www.orillia.ca/en/livinginorillia/smokealarms.asp.

Penalties upon conviction for each offence under the Provincial Offences Act range from $235 for a Part I ticketable offence to a maximum $50,000 and/or up to a year in prison if charged under Part III of the Act. 

The City of Orillia is a city of 30,586 people in the heart of Central Ontario on the shores of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Visit our website at orillia.ca.

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Jeff Kirk
Deputy Fire Chief
Orillia Fire Department
705-325-5215
jkirk@orillia.ca

Jennifer Ruff
Manager of Communications
705-325-8929
705-826-4399 (cell)
jruff@orillia.ca