Provincial fire investigators say there was no working smoke alarm in a downstairs apartment unit following a fatal house fire in Peterborough in late September.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) says one person died following a fire at a home on Meadowview Road on Sept. 24. Three other people were able to get out of the building safely.
According to OFM public relations officer Sean Driscoll, while investigators have completed their on-scene examination, the investigation continues off-site.
“At this time, I can confirm there was no working smoke alarm in the unit, however, as the investigation remains ongoing, there are no further updates,” he told Global News.
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He says the incident is a reminder that a working smoke alarm will provide an early warning and allow people time to safely escape a home.
“By law, a working smoke alarm is to be installed on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas,” he said. “To ensure your smoke alarms are in proper working order, they should be tested at least once a month, batteries replaced at least once a year, and the smoke alarms should be replaced if 10 years old or older.”
The OFM says 133 people died in fires in Ontario in 2023.
“Many of the residential fires were found to have no working smoke alarm,” Driscoll said. “Fire deaths can be prevented and lives saved with the proper installation and regular maintenance of smoke alarms.”
GoFundMe
Family have identified the victim as Tina Libby, a mother of four children.
Close family friend Julian Wilkins has launched a GoFundMe page with a $10,000 to help cover funeral arrangements and to support Libby’s children.