Homeless encampments have been a topic of debate for years in Saskatchewan. And after multiple fires in Saskatoon and Regina over the last few weeks, safety concerns are rising.
Saskatoon’s University Bridge was closed this week after an encampment fire. Aside from closing the bridge, it also melted a sewer line, spilling hundreds of gallons of sewage into the river and surrounding area.
The bridge has since reopened with restrictions, but Saskatoon’s deputy fire chief, Rob Hogan, said unregulated fires pose significant safety risks regardless of why they were lit.
“Our concerns with encampment fires are they’re quite often using a heating source that is not conducive to the environment they’re around,” Hogan said. “So if they’re in a tent or in a makeshift shelter, there’s not proper ventilation. They’re not using a proper heating source. There is no safety in that.”
It’s a concern echoed in Regina, as deputy fire chief Layne Jackson confirmed they have seen tent fires outside Carmichael Outreach.
“In the last two weeks we’ve gone to three fires,” Jackson said. “We’ve seen a bit of an increase there.”
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Advocates like David Fineday say the fires being seen in Regina and Saskatoon should be a wakeup call to better support the homeless.
Fineday said many homeless people would rather risk their safety with a campfire than attempt to get help at shelters.
Fineday said homeless people rarely feel heard and that is part of why he became an advocate in the first place.
Fineday said by seeing what the problem is like firsthand, city leaders might change their approach to addressing the issue of homelessness. He urges city leaders to get out in the community and see what the conditions are like.
