Lower Sackville fire that left 3 dead the result of improperly disposed of smoking materials

Improper disposal of smoking materials caused a Lower Sackville, N.S., house fire that led to the deaths of three people this month, according to Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency (HRFE) investigators.

“There was one working smoke alarm in this home, but HRFE investigators believe if there had been more than one working smoke alarm, the outcome might have been different,” read the municipal news release dated Monday.

READ MORE: Fatal N.S. fire caused by electrical fault, home only had 1 smoke detector

A 12-year-old girl and a 58-year-old man died in the fire on March 3. A man, 18, died in a hospital on March 5.

The fire began in the basement of the Leaside Drive property and, as it spread, caused an electrical fault.

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The investigation has finished without charges, and the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.

Deputy Fire Chief Roy Hollett told reporters earlier in the day in Dartmouth that the unit had one smoke detector in the stairwell hallway that connects to the second floor.

“In new construction, the building code stipulates there should be a working smoke alarm in each bedroom, on each level, and that all the alarms be linked, so people will know if there’s a fire in another part of the home,” read the news release.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In new construction, the building code stipulates there should be a working smoke alarm in each bedroom, on each level, and that all the alarms be linked, so people will know if there's a fire in another part of the home," read the news release.

The decades-old building can abide by a different standard because of its age, Hollett said.

READ MORE: 18-year-old man dies from injuries sustained in Lower Sackville fire

People in need of a detector can call 311 to get one and have it installed correctly, he added.