Halifax-area house fires that killed 5 caused by electronic devices, officials say

No operating smoke alarms were found following two fatal house fires in the Halifax area earlier this year and electronic devices were the ignition source in both instances, fire investigators say. 

The fires, both in January, claimed the lives of two men and three children. Both fires were accidental, said Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency in a statement posted to its website Tuesday.

"January was a tragic month for our municipality," David Meldrum, deputy chief of Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency, told a news conference Wednesday.

"We are mindful of the loss and the pain these fires have caused family, friends and community across HRM. We're sharing this information today as part of our ongoing work to prevent future fires like this and lessen their impact."

Lower Sackville fire

Chloe Margaret Greenough Steiger, 6, Cayson Jermaine Loppie, 5, and Alauna Marie Loppie, 9, died after an early morning fire at their home on Riverside Drive in Lower Sackville on Jan. 11. Two adults and a two-year-old child survived. 

Fire officials said the fire began in the basement TV room. 

Fire Chief Matt Covey told reporters the ignition source was a portable battery bank that had been plugged in and unattended, "which either overheated or had a cord fault due to prolonged charging and physical damage."

He said the make of the power bank wasn't known, but that it appeared to be an older model.

Dartmouth fire

On Jan. 24, another fire broke out at a house on Thompson Street in Dartmouth. Fire investigators said the fire started in the living room near an upholstered couch.

Covey said a damaged power cord for an electric heating blanket was identified as the ignition source.

Ron Dunphy, 83, was pulled from the fire by his partner of 25 years, Francis Anopuechi. Dunphy died in hospital on the day of the fire, and Anopuechi died a few days later due to injuries sustained in the fire.

"The family informed us that a smoke alarm had been installed in the building. Our fire investigators were unable to confirm the presence of smoke alarms or mounting brackets in the home and fire crews reported no alarms sounding on arrival," Covey said.

Smoke alarms belong in every bedroom

Covey said fires are investigated to understand how to prevent them and lessen their impacts. He shared the following safety precautions:

• Ensure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside every bedroom and between the bedrooms and the remainder of the home. Covey said the alarms should be interconnected, so that when one sounds, they all sound. He said fire alarms should be checked monthly and batteries should be changed annually. He said smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Never disable or tamper with a smoke alarm, Covey said.
   
• Consider using photo electric smoke alarms. Covey said those are less prone to false alarms and are very quick to alert occupants of a smouldering fire.
   
• If you can't afford a smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarm, call 311. Covey said firefighters can install the alarm, provide education on early warning devices and demonstrate how to maintain and test the alarm.
   
• Unattended electrical devices can overheat or fail when left plugged in, Covey said. Turn off and unplug devices when not in use. Avoid placing chargers or devices on upholstered surfaces, cushions or blankets. Regularly check devices for damage. Dispose damaged devices immediately.

"We know that smoke alarms save lives, smoke alarms give occupants time to evacuate a building. They also cause the fire department to come sooner because an undetected fire can burn a long time," said Meldrum. 

"We're here today to ask everyone to check their smoke alarms."

Avoid charging devices on beds, couches

Meldrum said firefighters are very concerned any time there are unattended electrical devices that are running power through them.

"And that gets even worse when you put a device like that on an insulated material, so we're talking about charging your device on your bed, on your couch, in your blankets ... anything that insulates that heat that will make the problem even worse," Meldrum said, adding devices should be charged on hard surfaces.

Meldrum said in his personal experience, it's rare to encounter fire fatalities in homes that had working smoke alarms.

Ahead of the news conference on Wednesday, Halifax Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 268 released a statement acknowledging that while the fires were accidental, "the loss of life shows the need for strong public fire safety measures and accessible prevention resources."

"Fire safety begins long before the first 911 call is placed — and it ends with firefighters on scene, ready to help. Our thoughts remain with those grieving during this difficult time."