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Fire fatalities investigated by the Fire Research Section in the Province of Ontario in 1956
DIVISION OF BUILD'ING RESEARCH
FIRE FATALITIES INVESTIGATED BY THE FIRE
RESEARCH SECTION IN THE PROVINCE OF
ONTARIO IN
1956
C.G. Burnett
ANALYZED
Report No.
127Division of BUilding Researoh
OTTAWA
The Division has, each year since January 1954, prepared a statistical report of fire deaths in the Province of Ontario, together with a companion report covering studies made at the scenes of fires at which
fire fatalities occurred. This report presents a case
history
ot
the visits made to such fires in 1956 bymembers of the Fire Research Section.
These studies, which have not yet been extended beyond the Province of Ontario, are made possible by the full co-operation of provinoia1 and municipal
officials whose assistance is now gratefully aoknowledged. The Division hopes eventually to summarize in a published document these annual reports which are in the meantime privately circulated for the information of
those ooncerned with fire prevention in Canada.
Ottawa
by C.G. Burnett
This study of fire deaths that occur in the Province of
Ontario was continued by the Fire Research Section of the Division
of BUilding ·Re se arch during the ye ar
1956.
As in previous ye ar-s ,members of the Fire Research Section have carried out a limited number of field investigations to supplement the information
received from provincial and municipal fire officials. Since these
investigations began in
1954,
members of the Fire Research Sectionhave travelled approximately 10,000 miles investigating
36
fatalfires which were responsible for the loss of 93 lives. The field
investigations carried out in
1954
and1955
have already beendescribed in DBR Reports Nos. 71 and 90.
It has been possible this year, owing to the number of
fatal fires which have ッ」」セキイ・、 in the immediate vicinity of
Ottawa, to report on more fatal fires than in previous years. In
spite of this factor, only about
25
per cent of the fire deathshave been studied by the Fire Research Section, and, as in previous years, the great bulk of the inform9tion which forms the basis of our statistical reports is secured from either provincial or municipal
fire officials. It is only fitting that once again
we
should paytribute to the wonderful co-operation extended to the Fire Research Section in this study by the various fire officials, not only for
supplying ゥョヲッイュ。エゥッセ upon request, but also for giving
assistance to members of the Section when they visit the scenes of
fatal fires. It is indeed evidence of the sincere desire on the
part of fire officials to assist in any way possible with any
endeavour which might have some influence on lowering this useless loss of human lives.
Commencing in
1956,
certain minor changes were made inthe information to be secured for this study, and certain modifi-cations were made in the forms used for reporting this information;
copies of the revised forms will be found in AppendiX A. As in the
past, information on the nature of the fatal injury is supplied at a later date by the Vital Statistics Section of the Ontario
Registrar-General's Office. This information is transcribed from the death
」・イエゥヲゥ」。エセN
セヲオゥャ・ these field investigations are made as a result of a fire occurring in which a fatality has resulted, they also offer an opportunity to members of the Section to meet directly with
but other fire problems encountered in their community. This personal link with the fire service is a valued one, as
evidenced by the co-operation shown by fire officials in the Province when they are requested to furnish information.
It is not intended in this report to attempt a detailed analysis of the fires investigated, but rather to present
con-cise summaries of the fires. However, when examining these
reports, two factors tend to emerge which appear to have exerted an influence on the possibility of escape of some of those who
died in the fires. One factor is the rapidity with which tho
fire spread in the interior of some of the buildings, particularly where combustible wall linings were used, which in some instances gave rise to panic on the part of those present, partioularly
adults. Unwise action taken by those under the stress of panio
has probably often increased the speed of fire spread; for example, occupants emerging from a building in which there is a fire might leave the doors open and this draught increases the speed and
spread of the fire. Another factor is that in the more isolated
locations, it is not possible to have modern fire eqUipment with ladders on the spot quickly to assist the escape of those who
are trapped by a rapidly advancing fire. The importance of having
ladders (of adequate length) readily available at residences
which are located in isolated areas should be stressed. Although
a great deal of the fire prevention effort is devoted to rural fire protection, it might be possible to place more emphasis on the foregoing precaution whenever fire preventive measures are being direoted to rural communities.
As in previous years, a oompanion report giVing a
statistioal analysis of all fire deaths in the Province of Ontario for
1956,
will be prepared.FIRE FATALITY STUDY No.
1/26
Location: Williams1:mrg, Dundas County
Da te of fire: Time of fire:
4
January1956
6.00 a.m.
Occupancy: Residence
Dead: 1 male, age
8
years;2 females, ages
47
and
11
years.Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
4
January1956.
Structure. - The wood frame dwelling was
45
feet in length,30 feet in width and two storeys in height, built on a
masonry foundation, Vii th a basement (Fig. 1). The hip
roof was covered with asbestos shingles. A one-storey wood
frame building Aセo feet in length,
15
feet in width used asa garage and storage was attached to the west side of the
building (Fig. 2). The shed roof was covered with rolled
roofing. Exterior finish of wall framing was combustible
board and wood siding. Interior finish on walls, ceiling and
partitions was combustible board, papered. A staircase to the
second floor was constructed in the centre of the dwelling. Occupancy. - Accommodation was prOVided for seven occupants
in the dwelling. At the time of the fire five were sleeping
on the second floor.
3.
Heating. - The dwelling was heated with a Quebec heater andan
011
stove located in the liVing room on the first floor.The stove pipes were joined together and extended through
the ceiling to a bracket chimney on the second floor. A wood
stove was located in the kitchen, with pipes leading into a
brick chimney (Fig.
3).
Summar;. - On rising in the morning, the father started a wood flre in the kitchen stove and Quebec heater and left the dwelling to do chores' on the farm, approximately one mile away. It was reported that the fire originated in the kitchen at the rear of the dwelling and spread rapidly in the interior before being discovered by the occupants who escaped.
Remarks. - Fire fighting equipment and water facilities were
lacking in this community. The combustible construction and
the materials stored in the garage added fuel to the fire,
destroying the building and its contents. A definite cause
could not be determined, but from physical examination of the of the ruins and information received, the most probable cause was an over-heated kitchen stove which ignited a pile of wood
Location: 0ttn'da, Carleton Count.y Date of fire:
Time of' fire:
11
Janu::lry1956
Occupancy: ResidenceDead: 2 males, ages
3
yearsand
6
months;3 females,8eos 7 years
セN years and
18
months.Members of' the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
11
January1956.
Structure. - The frame bu ILd Lng was Rセ feet in length,
18
f'eot in width and two storeys in height, constructed on a
masonry foundation with a basement (Fig.
h).
tィセ pitchedroof was covered with asbestos shing10s and the exterior
walls were sheathed with imitation brick siding. Interior
walls, ceilings and psptitions エィイッオセィッオエ the dwelling were
finished with 1/4-inch pressed papor board, and corrugated
cardboard. This wa s a substandard dweTlLng with living
facilities and building maintenance neglected, as the building was to be demolished.
Occupancil. - The dwelling contained living room, dining
room (Fig.
5)
and kitchen (Fig.6)
on the first floor. Thesecond f'loor was essentially one large room with a partial
wood frame partition (Fig.
7).
ThA dwelling accommodated afamily of eight. At the time of the fire seven were in the
building.
4.
Heatine;. - The building was heated with a. coal burning
furnace. Cooking facilities were provided on an electric
stove in the kitchen (Fig.
6).
Summarl. - The fire originated in the kitchen nea.r the side entrance and was discovered by the mother who left the
dwelling for help, leaving the front door open. The fire
spread rapidly on the 」ッュ「オウエゥ「ャセ interior finish. Smoke
and toxic gases quickly filled the staircase and second floor# asphyxiating four of the occupants in their beds.
One child died in his car>riage (Fig.
5)
and one boy wasrescued from the hallway.
Remarks. - Crowded and unhealthy liVing conditions existed
in this substandard dwelling. Owing to the pr>oposed
demol-ition of the building, maLnbenance was neglected. Some of
the windows and doors were made : 18acessible from the exterior. This class of interior finish prv. serrt s 8 definite fire and
life hazard ,,,hj eh ha.s in many instances been responsible for
the rapid firo spread and tbe loss of life. The cause of the
Location:
FIRE FATALlY! STiJD!}To.
2/;6
Otb=t\'\I8., Garleton County
Date of fit'e:
12
January1956
Occupnncy: ResidenceTlme of fire:
-
DeAd:4
females, ages39,
10,6
and3
years.
Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
12
January1956.
sエイオ」エ|セイ・N - TI1e frame building was
42
feet in length,17
feet in width, and two Ator0ys In height, with a fullhasement. The p:ttched roof was coverod with wood shingles
and the exterior walls were finished with wood siding
(Fig.
8).
The interior finish on tho walls, ceilings andpartitions was mainly of combustible board materials
(Fig.
9).
o」」オeセョ」セN - The dwelling contained three rooms on the
Qゥイウセ floor and エスセ・・ bedrooms and 「。エーセッッュ on the second
floor. The building ac c ommodabed セ family of seven. At
the tIme of the fire, six of the occupan'\;s were in residence. Heating. - The dwelling was heated with a hot-air oil burning lmi€ in the basement.
4.
Su.nnnary. - The fire originated in the living poom and spreadrapidly in the interiot' furnishings to the combustible board
walls and ceilings on Ghe first floor (Fig.
9).
The openhall and front staircase (Fig. 10) provided easy access of
the gases to the second floor. Four of the six occupants,
asleep on the second floor, were asphyxiated. セカッ 8Rcaped
out of the bedroom door which led to the front vepandah roof
(Figs. 8 and 11) wher-e they were r-escued by neLgnbour-s ,
Remarks. - Cause of the f:tre was a ttributed to the thought-less discarding of cigarettes v...hich ienl ted the furnishings.
'I'her-e se e.ns no cur-e for thls type of fire except that which
lies within the wilT-power of the individual. Time of day
FIRE FATALITY STUD! No.
'+/2
6
Location: Mar-mor-a , County Hastings
Date of fire:
18
January1956
Occupancx: Farm dwellingTime of fire: 6.00 a.m.
-
Dead:3
males, セァ・ウ 12,9
and 8 years;
h
females ages35,
16
2 and 1 year.
Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
18
January1956.
4.
Structure. - The frame building was
39
feet in length,37
ree·t in width and two storeys in height, built on a masonry
and log foundation, with a partial basement (Fig. 12). The
pitched roof was sheathed with wood and covered with asphalt
shingles. The interior finish on the walls, ceilings and
partitions was combustible board, papered.
OccuEancI. - The dwelling contained three rooms on each
rloor ana accommodated a family of eight. At the time of
the fire, all the occupants were in the dwelling, seven of
whom were asleep on the second floor. The father escaped,
severely burned, out of the rear entrance of the dwelling. Heating. - Two heating units were used on the ground floor; a wood burning stove was located in the kitchen and an oil
tmit was placed in the dining room. Smoke pipes from each
stove led to separate bracket chimneys on the second floor. Swnmarx. - The fire originated in the kitchen while the
father was attempting to light the wood stove. The fire
spread rapidly in the interior construction on the first floor and extended 'up the open staircase leading from the kitchen, to the second floor, closing escape by this route
and asphyxiating seven of the occupants. The building and
contents were destroyed (Fig.
13)
before assistance could besecured from a nearby municipality.
Remarks. - Cause of the fire was undetermined. However,
rrom rllformation received, inflammable liquids had frequently
been used to start a fire in the stove. This common and
dangerous practice of using inflanmlable liquids to start a fire, mostly in farm dwellings, has nroved very costly in
loss of life and property. Figure
14
shows remains of kitchenFIRE FATALITY STUDY No.
5!5f?
Location:
-
Ottawa, Carleton CountyDate of fire:
25
February1956
Occupancy: Tenement-roominghouse
Time of fire: 9.00 a.m.
-
Dead: 1 male, age62
years;and 1 female, age
23
years.
Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
26
February1956.
1. Structure. - The four-door, brick frame row was
three-storeys Tn height, approximately 100 feet in length and 30 feet in width, constructed on a masonry foundation with
basements (Fig.
15).
Exterior finish on the front and sidewalls was brick; the rear wall and attached wood sheds were
sheathed with wood siding. A pitohed roof extended the
length of the building and was covered with wood shingles
on the front section and rolled roofing at the rear. Dorcer
windows were built in the roof to acoommodate the third
floor rooms. No exterior fire escapes had been installed on
the building.
o」」fpAョセiN - The end dwelling in which the fire occurred contained roomers on each floor, eleven of the fifteen ocoupants were in the building at the time of the fire. Two were asphyxiated in a third floor bedroom; the others esoaped or were rescued by firemen from windows.
Heating. - The building was heated with a coal burning furnace
In the basement. Cooking on eleotric appliances in the rooms
was quite general throughout the building, and amateur wiring was evident.
sオュュ。イセN - The large room on the first floor was separated
into two rooms by a wood partition (Fig.
16).
The fireoriginated in the rear section occupied by a male roomer who
had temporarily left the room. By the time of discovery, the
fire had made rapid progress in the interior of the room.
Opening of the room door into t he hall permitted heat and smoke
to extend up the open staircase (Fig.
17)
to the floors above • .Remarks. - Crowded living conditions prevailed in this buifdlng and the number of electrical appliances used in the rooms placed an overload on the electrical circuits.
Paper oovering the wood partition in the room of origin
and the interior furnishings added to the rapid fire spread. Fire produces toxic gases, and when a fire occurs on a
lower floor and there is an open stairway (Fig.
17)
theupper floors are soon filled with a heavy conoentration of
toxio and hot gases. It is this condition whioh stresses
the importanoe of having adequate exits, well placed and
marked. The olosed door in the room of origin on the first
floor allowed some people to leave by means of the stairway
which otherwise would have been untenable. Where
olose-fitting doors remained closed (Fig. 18), oooupants escaped from windows - a loose-fitting door on the third floor bedroom permitted toxic gases to enter the room and asphy-xiate the two occupants before resoue operations oould be carried out.
FIRE FATALITY STuvY No.
6/$6
Location: Ottawa, Carleton County
Date of fire: セセ March
1956
OccupancI: ResidenceTime of f:tre: Deaq:
1
male, age61
years; .1 female, age
42
years.Members of the Fire Research Section vIsited the scene of this
fire on セセ March
1956.
Structure. - The frame building was
35
feet in length, 20feet in width and two storeys in heiGht, constructed on a
masonry foundation with no basement (Fig.
19).
The pitchedroof was covered with wood shingles and the exterior walls
were sheathed with wood stding. Interior finish of the
walls, ceilings, and partitions on the first floor was
combustible board over rough boards (Fig. 20). The second
floor rooms were mainly finished with lath and plaster, papered.
occupanc
t. -
The building contained two rooms on the firstfloor wi hthree bedrooms and bathroom on the second floor.
The first floor was セウ・、 as a radio repair shop with living
accommodation in the rear (Fig.
22).
セャ・ second floorbed-rooms were rented by four roomers, three of whom were in
their rooms when the fire was discovered. Two were
found asphyxiated while one was rescued by firemen from the second floor window (Fig. 21).
3.
',.
Heating. - The building was heated by a Quebec heater and
and 011 bur-nLng unit located in the rear section of the first floor (Fig. 22) with pipes leading to a bracket chimney.
Heat キセウ provided to the second floor by a register between
the first floor ceiling and rear bedroom floor. Electrical
appliances were used for cooking in the rooms.
Summar-v , - The fire orieinated in the rear room on- the first
rloor tFig. 20) while the occupants were absent. The fire
spread rapidly in the interior fjnish on the walls, ceilings
and hallway before being detected. The open stairway and
the hole cut; through the ceiling provided access for heat and
ga se s to penl'lLr-ate the second floor, asphyxia ting the occupants
Remar-ks , - Nearly all fh'i-)s that St8.1't ar-e small, but
when not rJetecte(1 find extinguished at once may develop
into large fires. nPcassセセy セイX」。オエUPョウ which should
be taken against the apr-ea d of fire are often neglActed
for r-ea aons of ec onomy , Lac k of knowLedge or Lnd lZイヲヲZセイ・ョ」・
due to wishful LhLnkl ng Lhat R fipe could not occur.
Car-eLe sanes s in one form or sno t.her- 1s r-espon st.bLe for
by far the majority of 0911 fJres; care and forethought
are therefore the most essontial ingredients of all fire
prevention. A definite cause for this fire was not
determined, owing to the severe burning on the first
floor. Careless smoking was the probable cause, with
t1:e inflammable Interior finish on the walls and the materials stored adding to the rapid spread of fire.
This incident emphasizes the desirability of good
FIR3 Fft.T.ALI'I'Y STUDY No.
7/56
Location: Date of fire: Time of fire:
Pembroke, Renfroew County
10
March1956
6.00
p.m.Occupancz: Dwelling
セZ 1 male, age
42
yearsMembers of the Fire Research Section visited the scent) of' this
fire on
15
March1956.
Structure. - The frame building was 22 feet in length, 20 feet in width, and 1 1/2 storeys in height, built on a
masonry foundation (Fig.
23).
The hip roof contained twodormer windows and was covered with asbestos shingles. Imitation brick siding was used to sheath the exterior
frame walls. Living accommodation was prov:i.ded only on
the first floor (Fig.
25)
and the interior finish of thewalls, ceilings and partitions was combustible board. The second floor of the dwelling was not finished, but a hole had been made in the floor to provide for a stairoase. ッ」」オセ。ョ」ケN - The dwelling was occupied by the owner who
live alone; he was found asphyxiated lying on a couch in
the room adjacent to the kitchen at the rear of the first floor.
Heating. - The building was heated with a coal and wood burning range located in the kitchen; cooking was done on a two-burner grill.
SU)'1J)'nar'x.. - The f'lz-e , which originated in the kitchen near
the eIectric grill, ignited the window curtains and spread rapidly on the combustible board finish on the walls,
ceilings and partitions of the first floor. The large
opening made in the ceiling of the first floor to provide for
the staLr-caS8 perrnlttedthe fire to spread to the second
floor, where it cansed considerable interior damage, and extended to the roof (Fig. Rセ⦅IN
Remarks. - The combustible materials on the ground floor and
the incOYlIplete Interior' f:ini8h of the dwelling created a
rapid fire spread. It has been found that carelessness in
one form or another is responsible for the majority of all
fires, and asphyxiation 「セイ fire gases is responsible for a
FInE fLセ tiセtLity STUDY No.
8156
Location: Haliburton, H!;111burton County
Da te of fire: Time of ftre:
OOCIJps.ncy: eエセー」。ョエゥャ・
Dead: 1 male, age
52
years-Members of the Fire Rese ar-ch Sec tion v:l si ted the scene of thi.s fire on III March 1956.
1.
2.
セMN
Structure. - The masonry building was 50 fef'lt wide, 100 fHet lone;" and one starRy hlgh , conat.r-ucbe o on a masonr-y foundation
with basement. The front section of the building was separated
with a ma sonr-y wall (Fig. 26). A f'Lat wood jolst roof
constructed on the buildin,:; \"las supported on unprotected steel beams resting on the centre and side masonry walls (Fig. 27).
Rolled roofing, covered with tar And gravel, was オウ。セ over
rough board sheathing. Interior f'Ln Lsh on the wa Lls , ceilings
And partitions was maLn'Ly combustible board material (Fig. 28).
ッ」」オー。ョ」セN - A bank establishment occupied approximately
25
feet by 0 feet on the nopth side of the building and the
remainder of the building accommodated a retail store (Fig.
26).
h・。エゥョセN - The two sections of the building were heated
ウ・ー。イ。セ・ャケ by coal burnine furnaces located in the basements. Stmrnary. - The fire was discovered when smoke was noticed in the bank section of the building, and the volunteer' fir'e
department wer-e called to Lnves t.Lga te , While endeavouring to
extinguish the firE' in the basement with a hand extinguisher, the fire chjef was overcome by toxic gases and fa1led to escape. The fire spr-e a d rapidly in the bank sec tion of t he roof,
destroying the buildine and contents.
Remarks. - 4 definite cause for the fire could not be
determined. However, reports received indicate that an
overheated furnace, or hot ashes placed against the wood
partition in the basement, was responsible. WIndowless
foundation (Fig.
26)
restricted. ventilat:lon and the escapeFIRE FA.TALITY STUDY No.
9/56
Location:Date or fi'pe: Time of fire:
Clayton, Lanark County
27 Mar'ch
1956
5.00 a.m.
Occupancy: Log cabin
セZ 1 male, age
76
year:Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
f1re on
28
March1956.
1. Structure. - The one-room cabin built on a log foundation
was
16
feet in length, and 12 feet in width. The shed roofwas sheathed wJth I'OUeh boards covered with rolled roofing.
Asphalt brick siding was used as exterior wall finish. The
interior of the cabin was finished with combustible board. Occunanc*. - The body of the lone occupant of the cabin
was foun amongst the ruins.
Heating. - A wood burning stove located in the northwest corner of the cabin, with pipes leading through the east wall, provided the heating and cooking facilities.
Summary. - Investigation revealed that the cabin had been u.noccupied all day and the victim had returned in the late
evening. Oil lamps ppovided light and a number of empty
containers indicating the use and storage of ini'lammable
liquids were amongst the debris. It was reported that it
was customary I'or- the occupant to use inflammable liquids
to start a fire in the stove, and this action was probably responsible for an explosion and fire which destroyed the
building and contents. Due to the isolated location of the
cabin the fire was not discovered until the following
morning. (Figures 29 and 30 show the remains of the cabin'.)
Rernar-ks , - 'I'he use of' volatile liquids in the a cce Ler-at Lon
or wood fires has proved a very dangerous and costly
practice responsible for the loss of life and property.
Volatility is inCl'e8Sed wIth heat Rnd a small spark will
igni te a proper> mixture of VApour and air causing an explosion.
FIRE FATALITY STtl:Y No .. 10 セV Location: Ca s se Lman , Russell counby Dete
or
fil'Eo):Time of fire:
28
Mar'ch1956
Oc:;ups nc¥: :fa r-m dwe11
ingDead:
3
malas, BeGS4,
2 year and s:tx montils;2 f'ema Le a , ages
6
yearf: and sIX" monbhs ,Members of l:;h8 Fire Research Sectlonvisited the scene of this
fire on
29
March1956.
セエNイGuc bur-e , - The fra.nle building wa s 30 feet in length, 2'5
rear
in width, Rnd two storeys in height, constructed on alog foundation (Fig.
31).
The pltched roof was sheathedwith rough boal"ds and coyored with sheet metal roofing ..
Bricks wer-e pLa ce d bebween the exter ior wa11 studs whl ch
wer-e ahea bhe d with r-ough Lumbe r , Thi3 exterior finish wa s "orick sic11ng; interior V:f8lIs and cei1ings wer-e coinbusl:;ible
board.
ッ」」オBo。セョーZN - The dwell fne wes normally occupied by a family
of ・イセョG[ at tbe time of the fire five of the children were
sleepine on thfl second floor, the mother and one son were in
t.he barn at th.e rear, and the f'aLher- was absent. The dwelling o on ca Lne d t.hr-e e rooms on each floor.
LセN
h・セエゥIQャャN - A 1ar88 co aL:and wood burning stove located
on
€hJ
first I'Loo r provided the heR. t and c ookLng facilities(Fig.
32).
The smoke plpes extended through the ceiling toLセ bracket chLmney on the second I'Loor-,
Stunmar • - It was r-epor te d that the fire had LnvoLve d the
. 1001' of the 、セセャャゥョ・ before being discovered by the
FlO"therI who attemp{j.;;cl r-escu« oper-at I ons , The isolated
IOCRtion and the Lac k of fire fighting facl1i ties in the
area delayed fire and rescue ope r abLons , Cause of the fire could not be do be r-nrl.ned owing to complete destruction of the
buildlng, but reports received indicate that the probable cause VVHS ove r-hea te d stove pipes igni tine; th0 combustible
finish on the room ce I'l Lng , The open st.sLr-ca se in the r-oom of origin permitted the rapid rise of toxic gases to the
second floor.
Remar-ks , - Repeated eX:Jmp18S occurring in 811 com-nunl ties
emphas fze GIla tunattendecl :rOWlg ch Ll.dr-e n and tho rJelay in
eli8COV61'>Y of t.he fire combine to make one of エィヲセ oirbsャセBhQ、ゥョァ
FIRE fatTセity stセセy No.
11/$6
Location:----
Ar-npr-Lor , Carle ton CotmtyDate of fire: Time of fire:
1 April
1956
12 NLセNo a sm ,
Occupsncl,: Conver-bed dwelling
Dead: 2 females, ages
18
yearsand
6
months.Members of the Fire Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
3
April1956.
1. Structure. - The frame beriernont building Vias
75
feet inlength,
50
feet in width, and two storeys in hel ghb ,constructed on a masonry and wood plank foundation with
g parbLa L basement under the front sect Lon (Fig.
33).
.
The pitched roof was covered with asphalt shingles. Brick
siding over rough boards was used as exterior wall finish.
The interior finish on the wa11.'3, cel1ings and partitions
was a mixture of combustible materials. The building
contained five apartments with an attached frame shed at
the rear approximately 12 x 12 feet, converted into a
one-room apartment. The fire occurred {Fig.
34)
in the rearapartment which was wired for electricity but did not have
water facilities.
2. Occupan£l.. - The apartment where the fire occurred
accommoaa ted a fmnily of three; a t the time of the fire
the mother and child were sleeping, and the father was absent.
Heating. - All apartments in the building contained
indiv-idual wood or oil burning オョゥエウセ Electrical appliances
were used for cooking and amateur wiring was quite evident
(Fig.
35).
'+ .
Summary. - The fire \'/8.3 attributed to ignition ofover-flowing grease boiling on the electric stove. The fire
spread rapidly on the Lnt er-Lor- combu.stible wall finish
and aroused the mother who escaped out of the window
after receiving severe burns that later caused her death. The fire spread in the wood construction causing
consider-able damage to builning and contents (Fig.
36).
Remarks. - Many of th088 older buildings are beins put
to a use for which they were not designed. This substandard
dwelling was not suited to occupancy, and D'}!Yt81'OUS safety
r-equfr-omont.s were violat'3d. ThlS occur-r-ence i llus tra tes
the need for p:...operly onf'or-ce d fir-e prevention and building
FInR ?ATAT,TTY STUDY No.
12/;;6
Location: st. Ae;Hthe, Waterloo County
Occupaney: F8rm cwelling
Date of fire: Timt) of fire:
.-8
AGLiAQセt1956
8.00 p.m.
-
Doad: 2 nviLo s , Ages;) And2 years;
2 ヲ・ュセャaウL ages 23 and Qセ year s ,
Members of the Fire Re soar-ch SectIon vis! ted the scene of this
fire on
9
May
1956.
Structure. - The frame buL'l.dlng wa s 22 feet in length, 32
l'eeE in width, and two st or-eys in he I ght , constructed on
a wood plank foundation wj thout a basement (Fig. 37).
The pitched roof was sheathed with rough boards covered with '1000 shinglfls. Exterior walls were sheathed with
wood and brick siding. InteY'ior finish on the first floor
was mainly V-joint Bnd plaster board painted (Fig.
38).
The second floor walls, ceilines and partitions were
combustible board (Fig.
39).
TIw building contained threerooms on the first floor and two on the second. It was
wjred for electricity, but did not have water facilities. Occuuanc • - The dwelling nOl'mally accor.unodated two
。ュセ セ・ウL a total of eleh\:; persons. At the time of the
fire, foul' of a family of five th9.t occupied the second
floor were in the ir beds (Fig. セNoIL and the remaining
occupants of the dwelling were absent.
Heatin&. - Heating and cooking facilities in the building were prOVided by a lArge wood burning range located in
the kitchen (Fig.
38).
4.
SUl11Y:1ar • - The fire had made some progress on エィセ second.001' of the dwelling bef'or-e being dtsc ove r-ed by a member
of the family wor-kIng in the field. Entrance wa s made on
the fh'st floor, but r-escue operations on the second floor
wer-e difficult duo to ao cumu'Lat Lon of smoke. The isolated
location of the dwelling and the lack of fire fighting
fncilities in the area caused a delay in rescue operations.
Four of the five ocCUpAnts wepa asphyxiated. The fire
wa s confined to thA se oond floor an d roof. ーセ definit.e cause
could not b8 determined, aLuhough ama be ur- wirine was quite
evident in the dwelling.
Remarks. - Overcrowded condition: existed in this dwelling.
I'Ires of this nat ur-e wher-o loss of li.rEl is involved are far
too frequont in r-ur-a'l ar-e a s whel'O bulLdl.ng r-e st.r-Lc t.Lons and fire ppovention イ・アャャZゥセイ・}[|[Iョエウ a1''3 not cnf'or-ce d ,
Location:
FIRE FATALITY STUF( no.
13/56
BowmanvI'Ll.e , Dur-ham county
Dete of fire: Time of fire:
24 June 1956
5
NjセMU a .rn.Occupancy: D-we11 ing
Dead: 1 male, age
35
years;1 femaLe , age 29
years.
Members of the Fire Research SectIon vlsited the scene of this
fire on
26
June1956.
Structure. - The one-storey frame bunealow was
22
feet inlength,
22
feet in width, constructed on cedar and cementposts with no basement (Fig. lセャIN The pitched roof was
sheathed with rough boards covered with asphalt shingles.
A frame unfinished addition
13
feet in length and 22 feetin width was attached to the Vlest side of the dwelling
(Fig. lセャIN The exterior walls were sheathed with
com-bustible board, the floor was V-joint. The dwelling
conte ined three rooms (Fig. lセSI and wes wired for
electricity but did not have running water.
Occupancy. - The dwelling normally accommodated a family of four; at the tlme of the fire only the parents were in the dwelling, the children having been placed in the care of neighbolws for the evening.
4.
Heating - A Quebec heater and a wood stove located in the
iiving room provided for the heating end cooking arrangements
in the dwelllng. It was reported that both fires were out
during the evening.
Summary. - Due to the late hour" of the par-errbs! return
they decided not to disturb the children. By the time
the fire was discovered by the neiVJbours, the dwelling was
completely LnvoLve d in f'Lr-e , and .it was reported that rescue
was futile. Cause of the flre cou'ld not be determined due
to complete desbr-uct Lon of the dweTlLng nnd contents (Figs.
スセャ and GKセIN A careless aet on the part of the parents in
the handling of cigarettes was most probably the cause, as
both of the vlctLms 'here smokers. TheIr bodies wer-e found
near the onJy entrarco to the buiJding.
Remarks. - There is no organized fir-e department in this
」ッイイセャオョゥエケL and assistance was requested and received from
an adjacent municipality. Due to lack of building and fire
prevention ordinances the construction of this slilistandard
Location:
?IR1-{; FATI1LITY STUDY No. QQAOセセ
R.R. No.
5
;Pooc1stock, Oxford countyDate of fire:
ll·
July1956
Occupancy,: ApartmentTlme of fire:
-
Dead: I male, age I year;I female, age 2 years lv.embers of the Fire RORearch Section visiteo the .scene of this
flre on
5
July1956.
1.
セ
..
StructuY'e. - Thd 'brick bu l Ld l ng forrnerly occupied as a
fal'm r-esldence, had been converted into apartments. It
wa s approxlmately
75
feet in lonpth,50
ヲHセ・エ in width, and two storeys in height (FIg. Ill!), constructed on a masonry foundation with a basement. The hip roof wascovered wl tih wood shingles. Tnt.er-Lor- f Lnl ah on the walls, ce l l.Lng s and par-t.Lttons in tho front; sect l on of the
building was lath a nd p'l.a st.e r- i}8p8recl. The interior finish of the walls, cellines and partitions in the rear a par-Lrnenb , where the fire occurred, was mainly of
combus trl.b l e materials (Fit;.
1,5).
Amatiaur- wiring was evident in all the· rooms tFig.'-,6).
OccupancJ. - The bul Ld.l.ng contained six apar-bmerrt s , The rear apal>tment on the second floor, where the fire star-be d , containAd three rooms and a bathroom. This apartment was occupied by a family of four. At the t Jme of the flre the two children were in tl1t'dr b8(18 (Fig.
1
1.5)
and. the motherwas visiting a no Lghbour- in the front apartment.
h・。エゥョセN - Each apartment jn the building contained individual heating units. Cooking was provided by electrical appliances.
SlJJlillJAry. - The fire wa s 0.1 scovet-ed when an occupant on the first floor swelt amo ke and g8ve the alarm. An
attempt was made to enter the burning apartment without success until the ar-rJ.va I of the fire department.
Investl"stion showed that the nrohable cause of the firev · · - .£."
wa s from a deI'o c tiv e wa1] Boeket OV'.H,' th3 cr Lb of the
two-year old child (Fig.
h5).
(The SOCk'3t had been used tohang clothes on as shown in Fie. JI.7). It was as sume d that
the chilct pulled on the C]oth88 causing an olectric spark which ign:ltf)d tho bod c Lot.h l.ng , 3110 I.hon moved toL}18 large bed where .she was f'ound , TIll" oY:to-yeBr o Ld ob LLd d Le d in his cr-Lb , Th8 mother> ャGMZセpoャGエZヲI、 t'hrJ'l.:; hAl" abs e nce from t.he apar-bmorrt VA S of' r'.hort (JU1'f)t.Lon ,
Rernar-lcs , - セャ・・ーゥョァ ac cor.modation was provided for the
four occupants in this small bedr-oorn where a number of
combustible ar-t LcLe s v.rereslso stored that added fuel
to the fire. The pr-aotlce of using e Lectr-LcaI fixtu.res
to hang clothes can create a definite fire hazard. The
delayed detection of this fire during the short absence of the mother illustrates the speed at which a fire can endanger life and property.
Location:
FIRE FATALITY STUDY No.
15'/$6
Goderich, Htwon County Date of fire:
-
lセN December1956
Occupanoy: HotelTime of fire: Dead:
-
3
males, ages36, 3
and
29.
Members of the Fjre Research Section visited the scene of this
fire on
5
December1956.
1.
"'I
;;,.
1.1.•
Strur;ture. - The brick and 8tone masonry building was 100
feet in length" 110 font in width" constructed on a masonry
foundation with a basement. The buILd Lng was divided into
two sections separ-ate d by a masonr-y wall (Fig. QセXIN The
only communl cet Lng door-way led from the second floor
hall-way. The main hotel scction was three storeys in height.
The first floor conta ined the lobby, offico and. snack
bar-(Flg.
'-1-9).
Guest rooms were on the second and thi.rd f'Loor-s ,An open staircR80 vms located in the centre of the building.
Interior finish was wood lath and plaster on brick supporting
walls.
A
fire escape was installed on the south wall. セャ・reap soction of the buildin::; was two storeys in height (Fig.
50).
The first floor of the rear section operated 8S a club.The second floor contained twelve small rooms used as sleeping
quarters (Fig.
51).
Intel'ior fin:i.sh of the walls, ceilingsand part Lt Lons in the r-ear- section was combust fb l.e board and
paper.
Occupancy. - The main bul Ld Lng waS oper-a t.e d as a hotel and
accolr..rnodated appr-oxlma tel.y forty guests. No account of the
number regi8te:r'ed on t.he night of the fire could be secur-ed
owing to the r-ec or-ds bel ng lost in t he fire. The three
victIms were found on the second floor in the rear section
of the buildine (Fig.
51).
h・aエゥョセN - A coal bur-nl ng ste am boiler located in the base-ment 0 the ms Ln S0CtI on provided hea t for thA building.
SUl1lI11arv. - 'Pl"Jre wer-e no f'i',·o lie bect.Lori \)P a l.ar-m systems in
the "i.mIldine 8n(1 811 thA occupants were aeLeep , The fire
was discovered when .q ァwGャセゥエ on the second floor awoke to
find smoke in his room. Tl-v,') f:ire evident]y had been bur-nIng
undebe o bed in tho basement fo.t' 9,)j1i8 oonsLder-abLo tIn:e,
causLng an a cc umu'La tlc,n of' unburned gases w!lich soon vented
into tIl6 SI;.'3i',"08.';'0 'Hid ll.npr-otucLEl\:l PャIセョゥョ・ウ on all rLoor-s ,
The c au se of the ('ire c oul.d no t; be determined" owl ng to
de Layed ..Uscovel'y and bho compLe he rJe:3b'ucti on of the bulLd Lng
5.
Remarks. - The vertical travel of fire is probably the greatest factor in connection with safety to life andproperty in masI; of the existing buildings of two or
more s tor-eys , This occurrence illustra te s the need of
properly enforced fire prevention and building code
regulatIons, particularly in buildings containing sleeping quarters.
Fire Fatality Investigation Forms:
I. Report on Fatal Fire
Fire Fatality Investigation Form (I) REPORT ON FATAL FIRE
Full address of fire Hョエセ「・イL street,
municIpalIty.. and county or distriot) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Date of fire
- - - -A-M-..}- - -
-A:M:/P.r8.-*-Time of outbreak セNNP.M. Time a arm rece vel i d __ - __ - - - _ EST'/EDST
*
Occupancy (e.g. hotel, clothing factory, etc.) If dwelling, state whether for onefamily or more, and whether apartment, double, duplex, separate house, etc. If "mixed occupancy", e.g. part dwelling, part stores, state occupancy for each storey.
Area On a separate sheet, please give,
セッオ can, an outline sketch plan of each storey of the building, with approximate measurements. Show point where fire started and where bodies were found.
Width (Basement/cellar-:---- ft. (Ground floor: ---(Higher storeys: :::::
_______.ft.
How man! storeys? How many peo*le normally
(exclud ng basement) resIded in t e building? _ Was basement used as living quarters? Yes/No/No basement existed/Donlt know
*
Construction of exterior キ。ャセ
(clapboard, bricK veneer, solid-briCk; etC.i - - -
--Interior finish of room where fire started _
(wallpapered lath and plaster; painted gypsum wallboard, ebc , )
(i) Walls (ii) Ceiling _
セ「・イ・ did fire start, and on which storey? How did the fire start?
tal Source of ignition (lamp, range, e tc , ) _ (b) Vfuat fuel (if any) did it use? (oil, eas, elec.) _ (c) セセ。エ first ignited? (cuptains, hedding, etc.) __
(d) 。セョ why? (lamp knocked over, playing with matches, etc.) _
セn。ウ the fir'e conf1""d to: Room of orlein/Storey of origin/Bull,Hng of origin/* or did it ext,,"n to other building(s)?
an fire nen.art"l"nt attend this fire? _
y8 S, s't<1t e キャA⦅MセN」ィ f'1.:.'"'13 depsY'"trnAnt.
How many イQ・。エィセ from this f'ire? _ Wa s theretbere be, onr or w:ll1.jnouto st'1 Ye- siNo
Any further イ・セ。イォウ (Reverse side or separate sheet may be used also) Please send any available photographs, and state what payment is required. They will be returned if not needed.
PLEASE ALSO COMPLETE BLUE FORMi ONE COpy FOR EACH FATALITY .:, - Cross out whir:hever does not apply
2,igna ture
セMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Rank or tlosition Department
Fire Fatality Inve$tigation Form (II) REPORT ON FIRE VICTIM
(PIAase complete one form for eaoh fAtality)
Name of viotim Age Sex _
1. セuilョイng FIRE
セセLNイ[[セセセfセセZ⦅Z][イ]ZN][N[N[ッ[イNNNN[[[、NZZゥNZZ、セエィ[L[N・[[LMNカ[N[ゥ[[N[」[N[エ[[NZゥZ[Z[ュ[NNNN[[ッ[N[[「[N[Zエ[N[[[。NZZZゥNZZョGMィ]ゥ[[Lウ⦅ゥNョ ...ur;;;;;,,;i;;.;e-.II? ... ....
Why was the viotim trApped or otherwise unable to esoape? ... _
2. CLOTHING FIRE If the fatality was due to the Viotlnl1S olothing becoming
ignited:-How did this happen? ... _ ... ... ... _
セセ。エ did the victim and
others present do about it? ... _
What w.ql" thA tyne of fiarmAnt flrst ignited? (shirt, skirt, etc.) _ Fabrio: state ll'ain constituent (cotton
t
キッoャセ etc.)!f !lvellable, please send an unburnt p eoe 0 the 19Iift'edgarment,
-if possible 8 square foot or more.
3. セ If the viotim was a ohild セ than seven yeal's old:-onsible for the ohild?
How old was
this person? _ Was the イ・ウセッョウゥ「ャ・ ーセイウッョ with the ohild: in the aame room? _
same storey? same building ; i f not, how
far away was he/she?
If the responsihle person was not in the same building as the child at
the time of the fire, how long}iiid he/she been away? _ MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMセMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIf the responsible person セ there, why WAS he/she unable to safeguard
the infant?
4.
If the questions above do not fit the oircumstanoes, please give your own ·aocount on セョッエィ・イ Bheet, or on the baok of this one.plfLaセe ALSO COMPLETE FORM (I) REFffiT ON FATAL FIRE Sisnatu:re
2.!!! . _
Rank or position _ Department
Fig. 1. View looking towards the rear of the
residenoe showing oomplete destruotion.
Fig. 2. Fire burned out
garage and storage
ウセ、N
Fig.
3.
View showing ohtmneyserving kitohen stove.
Fig.
4.
Side and front'view of residence.Fig.
6.
View of kitchen showingelectric stove.
Fig.
5.
View showing livingroom in baokground with dining room in foreground. I
I
_ l....:..
セ,
セ セ
j---"
r: , .i セ
.. .
セゥャ N ャ
Iセ ョ セ
ャ
..
セセN
B
-4llIIt
-
.
• .
81', 4S4-4- ,Fig.
7.
Sleeping quarters onsecond floor, showing partition.
Fig.
8.
Front viewot
Residence. Fig.
9.
first floor rooms.Interior view ofFig. 10. Front hall and stairway
leading to second floor. Fig. 11. View showing dooropening on to verandah root from seoond floor front bedroom.
Fig. 12. View of foundation walls and partial basement.
Fig. 13. View showing the
oompletely destroyed building.
Fig.
14.
Remains of kitohenstove following the fire.
Fig.
15.
Front viewot
building. Fig.
16.
View showing woodenpartition dividingfront roam on first floor.
Fig. 17. Open stairway leading
to upper floors. Fig.
18.
was kept closed durinView of a door which fire. thereby delayir. entry of tire and エッセgases into the room ana permitting occupants to escape •
Fig.
19.
Front view of building.Fig. 21. Front bedroom on second
floor showing window where one person was rescued.
Fig. 20. Interior view on
first floor where tire started.
Fig. 22. Radio repair shop
with living quarters in background.
Fig. 23. セッョエ view of residence.
w
STAIRS TO BASEMENT....--N REAR ENTRANCE DININ(;· ROOM ( Bl BEDROOM EFig.
24.
View showing sidewall and kitchen window.
FRONT
セA
エZセeᄃセセ」ZZZj
entranceセ
s
Fig. 2$. Plan of first flo or:
a) where fire started;
b) where victim found on
couch.
Fig.
26.
Front viewot
building showing dividing wall.
Fig.
27.
Interior viewot
storeshowing exposed steel beams.
Fig.
28.
Interior view of storelooking toward the
rear.
Fig.
29.
Remains of oabin.Fig.
30.
Another view of cabinshowing stove.
Fig. 31. Remains of building following fire.
Fig. 32. Remains of ooa1 and
wood burning stove.
Fig.
33.
Front view of building.Fig.
35.
Interior view of oneof the apartments.
Fig.
34.
One room addition atrear of building.
Fig.
36.
View showing extentof damage to the building.
Fig.
37.
Exterior viewot
building.
Fig.
39-
Rear viewot
seoondtloor sleeping aocommodation.
Fig.
38.
Interior view showingkitohen.
Fig.
40.
Front viewot
thesame area.
Fig.
41.
View showing alma t complete destruction or dwelling andaddition.
Fig.
42.
Another view or thesame area. WASHINGU MACHINE BEDROOM BEDROOM r- c:::= QUEBEC"€) X 0
HEATER CHAIR CHAIRD
QELECTRIC
I
TABLEI
x(
STOVE -FRONT ENTRANCEFig.
43.
Plan of ヲゥセウエ floor:X 1s where bodies were
found.
1
...,.
Fig.
44.
Front viewot
building.Fig.
46.
Example of amateureleotrical wiring.
Fig.
45.
View of bdroam in rearapartment on second floor.
Fig.
47.
Clothes hangingfrom lamp sooket.
Fig.
48.
Front and side vie. or hotel.Fig.
50.
Rear sectionor
building.
Fig.
49.
View showing firstfloor or hotel.
Fig.
51.
View of sleepingaccommodation.