More multiple-death fires in Ontario this year: Office of the Fire Marshal

Firefighters are shown at the scene of a fatal house fire in Brampton, Ont., Thursday, Jan.20, 2022. Three boys have died after a house fire in Brampton, Ont. on Thursday morning. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

The Office of the Fire Marshal, which is tasked with investigating such fires in the province, says the numbers of both fatal fires and deaths have dipped compared to January of last year, but there are significantly more deaths than in January 2020.

Deputy Fire Marshal Tim Beckett says that in January 2020, there were 10 fatal fires that left a total of 11 people dead, while in January 2021, 15 fires left 22 people dead.

Beckett says fire deaths are always more common in the colder months, but this year, the number of fires that have left more than one person dead has increased.

In addition to the Brampton fire, the OFM is investigating a blaze that left two people dead in Toronto on Wednesday night, one that left three children dead on Sandy Lake First Nation last week, and an explosion in Ottawa that killed six.

Beckett says fires are more common in the winter because people are more likely to use space heaters or smoke indoors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2022.