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Emergency responders found the victim dead inside a structure at the encampment, according to Jessop.

Crews had to work down a “steep embankment” to get to the fire, according to the fire chief who described mangled trees as a result of exploding propane tanks and gas cylinders. 

Jessop said the first truck on scene called for more support after seeing the “significant structural fire.”

The fire was put out “quickly,” according to Jessop, though the service  at 6 a.m. that operations still continue.

“The origin cause and circumstances of the fire will be investigated by É«É«À² Fire Services, office of the Fire Marshal and the É«É«À² Police Service,” the fire chief said.

There were many structures in the valley but only one was hit hard by the fire, the chief said. 

“I want to offer my deepest condolences to those impacted by this horrible fire,” Jessop said. 

Later in the morning, É«É«À² fire trucks remained at the scene, but police had taken over the investigation. Officers could be seen traversing into the ravine as items from the encampment were strewn around the edges of the wooded area, with the acrid smell of burning still present. 

The encampment was located behind the Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre, and the organization’s president said that they have had issues with it for years, adding police were called for an incident just last week and that city staff have performed a wellness check on the residents.

”It’s sad that somebody lost their life today. It’s sad that there are people that have to live in those conditions. But it’s also not the first fire that we’ve had down there,” said Lionel Zondo, president to the Latvian Canadian Cultural Centre. “We’ve had to call the authorities dozens of times over the past few years.”

He says the encampment started sometime during the pandemic and it tends to grow during the warmer months, as does the accumulation of debris and waste next to a basketball hoop at the end of the parking lot. 

“The proximity to the stuff at the top of the ravine to the playground has been an area that we’ve highlighted with the city on multiple occasions,” said Zondo. “There’s also a playground close by and I know several parents have reached out to the city to express their concerns.”

Zondo said while this was a tragic event, he hopes that the city can help relocate and find proper housing for anyone who was living in the encampment. 

Coun. Jon Burnside confirmed that his office has received concerns from constituents, including the Latvian Centre, about the encampment, adding that the city’s Encampment Office has visited many times, most recently yesterday. 

“The Encampment Office has been by numerous times, the Parks Ambassadors, É«É«À² Fire. Everyone’s done their thing, but obviously they weren’t successful in getting these people to come inside, or to go inside or to move along,” Burnside said.

É«É«À² fire said there’s no significant fire history at the encampment, adding that they haven’t responded to any calls in the last year.

Burnside, who formerly worked at the city’s Encampment Office, said that compared to other encampments in the neighbourhood it’s “not the worst” he’s seen, though there’s still a large impact on those who live nearby. 

“There’s a limit to what the city can do, especially for people who choose to live off the grid,” Burnside said, however, he feels like there’s more of a “political” urgency to address encampments when they’re in city parks.

A City of É«É«À² representative said they were saddened to learn of the fatal fire.

“Staff and outreach workers attended the site today — as they have regularly including a support visit as recently as yesterday — and are co-operating with the investigation,” Elise von Scheel, senior communications adviser, told the Star. “We take the safety of vulnerable É«É«À²nians very seriously and are focused on reducing fire risks in encampments through site visits and education.”

As part of the risk-reduction efforts, the city said É«É«À² Fire patrols encampments daily to remove fuel sources and teach people about encampment-specific fire safety. City staff have also increased outreach visits at sites that have been identified as potential fire hazards.