METRO VANCOUVER — Tuesday’s fire in Richmond raises concerns about changes to the B.C. Building Code that allow taller wood-frame buildings, a fire prevention engineer says.
These buildings are at their most vulnerable to fire and pose the greatest threat to surrounding buildings when they’re in the construction phase because fire prevention tools like sprinklers are not in place.
A period of high fire risk during construction is "unavoidable," and threatens surrounding buildings because these fires spread quickly and burn very intensely, a report prepared for the city of London, England looking into the safety of wood frame buildings found.
"This fire happened at the worst possible time," said Sean Tracey, Canadian regional director of the national fire protection association, a non-profit association that does codes and standards for buildings as well as fire service.
He didn’t call for a complete moratorium, but says these buildings should never be built in communities that don’t have the adequate tools to fight this type of fires.
Richmond had to call on neighbouring communities, including Vancouver, to send firefighters to fight Tuesday night’s fire, including ten spot fires that broke out in the surrounding neighbourhood.
"What if this had happened in Chilliwack, Hope, or Prince George. They wouldn’t have those resources to call on," Tracey said, adding that equipment, such as ladders or thermal imaging cameras, numbers of firefighters and proper training are crucial to successfully fighting large wood fires.
The Richmond fire, at a development called The Remy, was at the first development in B.C. to take advantage of building code changes introduced in 2009 that allow wood frame buildings as high as six storeys.
Previously, wood-frame buildings were limited to four storeys due to fire risk and structural concerns. The code was changed as part of the B.C. Wood First Act that aimed to stimulate the province’s timber industry. The provincial government determined that improved fire prevention techniques such as sprinkler systems that extended to balconies would make the buildings safe.
As long as a project follows the new building code, the resources of the local fire department are not necessarily considered before approval is granted.
"Unfortunately in the rush to develop these projects, sometimes some communities may not check that the fire department has adequate capability to fight these fires," Tracey said. "If the fire department raises these concerns, their voices can be overcome by the developers that want to proceed."
In 2009, Richmond Fire Rescue did warn that to fight these fires effectively new firefighting tactics would be required, including resources, personnel and higher ladder trucks.
Tracey said B.C. should re-evaluate what the additional construction and site security practices should be to make sure these new types of buildings are safe from fires.
Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association, said that the Remy’s builder is extremely vigilant when it comes to safety rules.
"Whatever was required, I have no doubt that it did occur," Simpson said. "At this point in construction, this building was basically a big pile of kindling.
"If this had occurred in a wood frame completed building, the fire would’ve likely been contained to a single suite."
The London report was prompted by a series of fires that included a fatal blaze in July 2009, which killed six people.
The report recommends that the construction industry should use fire safety measures, including fire suppression systems and site security measures, that are designed to reduce the risk of fire on construction sites during non-working hours when the danger of arson or accidental fires is highest.
Further, the report recommends that wood framed developments not be occupied until the whole development is complete, due to fire risks and fire severity during construction.
The cause of the Richmond fire is still under investigation, but the London report found that two-thirds of fires on construction sites are started deliberately.
Meanwhile, both the Provincial Rental Housing Authority and non-profit group S.U.C.C. E. S. S said they intend to go ahead with their plans for social housing on the development once the building is rebuilt.
"The first feeling is a big shock, just as if I had heard that my own house was on fire. It was a very shocking and sad moment," said Thomas Tam, C.E.O. of S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
"But we are very determined to go ahead with the project and we will meet with the developer soon. We will be looking at ways to resume the building at the best possible date."
Tam also said that wood-frame houses were safe provided construction was complete and the proper safety measures were in place.
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