In the early hours of Thursday morning, Prince George Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the Lower Patricia Encampment, known as Moccasin Flats.
On arrival, crews from two halls found one of the recently donated tiny homes in the encampment engulfed in flames.
The tiny house was one of the first to be built by volunteers and was occupied by Cora Calliou, who had moved into the tiny home in December.
Crews stayed on site for about an hour to extinguish the fire and reported there were no injuries to civilians or firefighters.
“Luckily, everybody is okay,” said Phillip Fredriksson, one of the volunteers who spearheaded the building of tiny homes.
Fredriksson explained that Calliou had just returned to her tiny home after the recent cold snap and had decided to heat it with a propane heater. She fell asleep and when she woke up there were flames inside. Fortunately, she was able to make it out in time but has now lost all of her possessions.
Fredriksson said he is frustrated because this situation is preventable.
“We need utilities for people in the flats, so they don't have to use gas powered heating systems,” he said.
“The shelters are full. There's nowhere for people to stay and they're coming back, because it's getting a little bit warmer, to their tiny homes. But it’s the same situation as in a tent or in a cardboard box. You need a source of heat.”
He said he hope the volunteers efforts to build tiny homes would “twist the arm of municipality” to act faster, while waiting for provincial legislation or funding.
“You know, just allowing people to live like this is a really unfortunate situation. We need more available housing and more low barrier housing,” said Fredriksson.
“We hoped this wouldn't happen. But I think with the guns and with the with the fires that have been down here, these are all inevitable happenings when you force people into a small confined area with no utilities.”
There have been two recent shootings at Moccasin Flats. A man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injures on Jan. 22 and on Jan. 5 another man was shot in the nearby warming centre building.
Fabian James Charlie was arrested and charged with attempted murder using a firearm for the Jan. 5 incident.
“I just want to let all the community know that this precarious situation that we're in with Moccasin Flats is something that needs to be addressed through legislative change,” said Fredriksson.
He said he encourages people to write their MLA because despite volunteer efforts the resources people need at Moccasin Flats aren’t reaching them.
Fredriksson said he’s working with Calliou to find housing for her and believes she is “high up on the list”.
“I'm just hoping that she gets into something right away, and that maybe this situation sheds light on the fact that she is elder and she requires something a little more stable, a little more safe and I'm hoping we can provide that for her in some way.”
Prince George Fire Rescue says the estimated damage is $2,500.
