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Amid an investigation into a fatal house fire in Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek, also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation, in northwestern Ontario, the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC) is advocating for more fire prevention support.
“If three people pass away, I’m sure everyone in the community knows and is affected,” said Arnold Lazare, NIFSC’s interim chief executive officer.
Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) is investigating the Sunday evening fire alongside the Treaty Three Police Service (T3PS).
The names of the three people who died in the fire haven’t been released.
A spokesperson for the First Nation told CBC News that leadership is not ready to comment on the fire. Its cause hasn’t been determined.
OFM spokesperson Jim Demetriou said Thursday there’s no information to share at this time.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and we are not in a position to provide any further details,” Demetriou said in an email to CBC News.
Just under 1,000 people live in Grassy Narrows, an Ojibway community about 85 kilometres north of Kenora near the Ontario-Manitoba border.
Indigenous people are over five times more likely to die in a fire than non-Indigenous people, according to a 2021 Statistics Canada study commissioned by NIFSC. That number increases to over 10 times for those living on reserves.
“Most of the houses where people died required major repairs and it was in areas where there was a lack of housing — so you had multiple families living in a house that was not at standard, without working smoke alarms, and in communities that are underserved by fire service, meaning it was delayed or there’s none,” Lazare said. “It’s a perfect, negative storm.”
Grassy Narrows’s band office and school have been closed for the week.
Lazare said NIFSC is offering support to Grassy Narrows.
“We will offer assistance to the community both in developing or building their fire prevention program, and we do have wellness counsellors if need be, too.”
In a statement on Thursday, Grand Council Treaty #3, which represents Grassy Narrows, shared condolences.
“Our hearts are with their families, loved ones and the entire [Grassy Narrows] community as they grieve this devastating loss.”
Indigenous Services Canada calls fire a ‘tragedy’
CBC News reached out to Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for comment on the fire in Grassy Narrows, and the firefighting and mental health resources available there.
ISC “was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of three Grassy Narrows First Nation community members,” ISC spokesperson Eric Head in an email Thursday.
“Our thoughts are with all community members from Grassy Narrows First Nation, particularly with the loved ones of those impacted, First Nation leaders, and emergency personnel who worked tirelessly to respond to this tragedy.
“Departmental officials have reached out to the community to express our sincere condolences and offer support to the entire community during this very challenging time. Mental health resources are available to those in need and are community led.”
Push for fire prevention education
NIFSC has been working with Kidde Canada to provide smoke alarms to First Nation communities.
However, one of the biggest challenges has been fire prevention education, Lazare said.
“What we’re advocating [for] is to have a fire champion in each First Nation that will push, advocate for fire prevention, for putting the smoke alarms in,” he said.
“We would like to see a full-time fire prevention person in the community and that would be their responsibility, is actually checking, getting access to the home. If it’s a community-owned building, then there would be tests monthly done.”
NIFSC also wants to be able to manage federal fire prevention funding for First Nations.
“Our model is we’re working to enable the communities to empower themselves because that’s where real change occurs,” Lazare said. “If we can get buy-in from the grassroots level, then there’s going to be lives saved.”
Mental health counselling and crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the Hope for Wellness hotline at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
