The British Columbia government has ordered a coroner’s inquest into a fire that levelled a Vancouver rooming house and claimed two lives.
Mary Ann Garlow, 68, and Dennis Guay, 53, both died when the Winters Hotel, a single-room occupancy hotel caught fire on April 11.
On Thursday, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he had ordered an inquest to ensure a factual accounting of what happened and to provide recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their homes. Recommendations from the inquest into the Winters Hotel deaths could help prevent fires in single-room occupancy buildings and save lives,” Farnworth said in a media release.
“As the number of fire-related deaths increases in British Columbia, it is imperative that we take action to ensure vulnerable people are protected from fire hazards.”
The Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services has said it believes the fire was caused by unattended candles on the building’s second floor.
The building’s sprinklers had been turned off due to a fire several days prior, with the property’s operator — Atira Women’s Society — under orders to have the fire suppression system serviced, and to put a fire watch in place.
Family and friends of the victims have said they have unanswered questions about the tragedy, including why it took so long for officials to realize people were missing and to locate the victims.