One dies in Barton Crescent blaze
Union says incident demonstrates advantage of increased staffing levels in fire responses
One person is dead following a Tuesday-night fire on Fredericton’s north side, the city’s fire chief announced Wednesday.
Fredericton firefighters were dispatched to a home on fire on the 200 block of Barton Crescent at 7:53 p.m. Tuesday, Fredericton fire Chief Dwayne Killingbeck said in a statement issued Wednesday morning, noting there had been a fatality.
“Fire crews acted quickly and decisively, and the fire was completely extinguished within an hour, and the investigation as to the cause is ongoing,” he said in the news release.
“The structure contained a lone occupant who was rescued from the home in the first few minutes of the fire and transported to the hospital. Ultimately, this individual passed away later in the hospital.”
The Fredericton Fire Fighters’ Association, the union representing the city’s firefighters, also issued a statement Wednesday, offering a little more detail about the rescue effort.
“Upon arrival, Engine 4 received reports of an occupant trapped on the second floor. Crews immediately stretched an attack line and made entry through the front of the home,” it said.
“The occupant was quickly located and removed to the front lawn, where Truck 2 crews took over life saving efforts before the patient was transported to hospital by Ambulance New Brunswick.”
The chief, department and union all offered their sympathies to those close to the victim of the fire.
The association further noted that the personnel’s rapid response and ability to contain and control the fire quickly stemmed from a difference in staffing Tuesday night.
“This incident highlights the critical importance of staffing four firefighters on an engine instead of the current minimum of three,” it said.
“Because Engine 4 was staffed with four firefighters, crews were able to simultaneously: secure a water supply to support an aggressive interior fire attack, make immediate entry to locate the trapped occupant [and] remove the occupant and begin life-saving care without delay.”
The union touted the advantages of the complement of four firefighters, noting it “makes a real, measurable difference, allowing multiple critical tasks to happen at the same time, improving firefighter safety, and most importantly, increasing the chances of saving lives.”
Killingbeck agreed the four-firefighter complement per engine was preferable and noted the Fredericton Fire Department plans to adopt it soon.
“The Fredericton Fire Department has been working towards this goal for several years and expect to be at those staffing levels in 2026,” he wrote in a followup statement by email Wednesday.
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.