Cleanup underway after fire rips through Kitchener encampment

A day after flames ripped through a homeless encampment in Kitchener, work is underway to cleanup and rebuild, and the Region of Waterloo says it’s now implementing safety measures to help prevent future fires.

Emergency crews were called to the camp at the corner of Victoria and Weber streets at 9:16 a.m. Tuesday.

Smoke billowing from the large fire could be seen from kilometres away. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames, but not before they reduced a structure at the camp to rubble. No injuries were reported.

Encampment residents say the structure that burnt down was made of wood.

Fire crews say there were too many potential ignition sources to figure out exactly what sparked the fire, but some people who live at the camp told CTV News the person inside the shelter was trying to stay warm.

“If you don’t have a heater or generator something like that running, the only thing you have is a fire,” encampment resident Terry Kann said on Tuesday.

The region says it's working with Kitchener Fire to implement their fire prevention recommendations including the removal of debris, the installation of fencing and appropriate spacing between tents at the encampment. (Stephanie Villella/CTV Kitchener)

'UNSAFE PLACES'

On Wednesday, restoration companies and Region of Waterloo workers were at the site to clean up the rubble.

“We’re been talking a lot publically about how that encampment, and large encampments in general, are unsafe places,” said Region of Waterloo commissioner of community services Peter Sweeney.

“The longer that these encampments stay in place, the riskier it becomes.”

The region, who owns the property the encampment sits on, says it’s working with the fire department to implement fire prevention measures including the removal of debris, the installation of fencing, and appropriate spacing between tents.

Sweeney says with an unsanctioned camp, the things the region can do to minimize risk are limited.

Items damaged by fire to be thrown out are seen piled at the encampment at Victoria and Weber streets on Oct. 12, 2022. (Stephanie Villella/CTV Kitchener)

PLANS FOR MANAGED ENCAMPMENT

Earlier this year, the region told the people living at the Victoria Street encampment they had to leave and issued a court order to evict them. The lawsuit is still before the courts.

“Our capacity to support folks who are currently chronically homeless is really difficult,” said Sweeney.

This summer, regional council approved the region’s the first-ever sanctioned site. But the location and when people can move there is still unknown.

“We don’t have a partner yet,” said Sweeney. “We have an expression of interest... asking for community groups who are interested in exploring and interested in perhaps running the hybrid encampment.”

The region says the managed encampment could include tiny and modular homes and have wrap around supports, but an operational plan is not in place yet.

Meanwhile crews at the Victoria Street encampment say cleanup could take four to five days to complete.