A rising number of fires at tent encampments is costing the Saint John Fire Department tens of thousands of dollars.
Department staff provided an update on this year’s call volume to council’s public safety committee on Wednesday.
City fire crews responded to around 300 calls for fires at tent encampments in 2023, according to the presentation.
Leah Robichaud, manager of analytics, risk and support, said this year’s number stands at around 450 as of the end of October.
“15 of those would have been specific to confirmed tent fires,” Robichaud said during her presentation to the committee.
Two of those fires proved to be fatal, with three people experiencing homelessness losing their lives this past winter.
Robichaud said the average encampment fire call costs the department $315, bringing the total so far this year to an estimated $141,750.
That includes the personnel and apparatus to respond to the call, as well as miscellaneous supplies such as blankets, gloves and water.
Overall this year, the department has responded to 747 calls for fires, an increase of 11 per cent over the same period.
Total calls for Saint John firefighters so far this year are up nearly four per cent to 4,175, with medical calls accounting for more than two-fifths of that total.
