Well, I was reading my news as I faithfully do, and came across this sad story of a family house burning down in Northern Winnipeg (certainly not an uncommon occurrence, unfortunately). Then I read this choice bit:
The constables helped 10 people — ranging in age from nine months to 66 years — escape out a rear window because the home’s front door was blocked by the fire and the back door had been boarded up to keep out the winter cold.
There’s nothing illegal about that, but Tuesday’s fire shows it’s not a good idea, says Manitoba fire commissioner Doug Popowich.
“If you look at it from a regulation point of view, they’re not doing anything that’s against any law, but what they’re doing is creating an unsafe environment for their families and themselves,” he said.
What. An. Asshole. I realize the Fire Commish is supposed to warn people not to do dangerous things, but at the same time, it would be nice if it was acknowledged that maybe having what was likely a house in poor shape (which I am assuming by the fact they had to board up the door to keep the cold out) with significant overcrowding (eleven people in a single house) is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Of course, someone will jump in with the insightful analysis of “the person who set the house on fire is to blame!”. Well, obviously, but there’s a big difference between saying the fire would never have started without the alleged fire-starters and recognizing the material conditions in much of Winnipeg’s housing stock that lead to responses like blockaded doors.
