Patricia Hotel, Aneki Housing for Women, Nora Hendrix Place and constructing at 566 Powell St. all sustained injury in the Downtown Eastside
A Vancouver non-profit housing supplier says four of its buildings in the Downtown Eastside have been broken in fires over the previous three weeks due to issues related to folks charging lithium-ion batteries for electrical bikes.
No accidents have been reported in the fires, however in some instances tenants needed to be quickly relocated due to smoke, structural and water injury in the buildings, that are dwelling to low-income folks.
The spate of fires considerations Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Group of Women Serving Services, who mentioned it is the primary time the company has been hit by fires brought on by the batteries, which additionally energy scooters and different gadgets comparable to cellphones.
“We do have a fire every four days across our portfolio, but these four in the last three weeks are the first that we’re aware of that were caused by lithium-ion batteries,” mentioned Abbott, noting the company not too long ago banned the batteries from tenants’ rooms, however acknowledged the coverage is tough to implement.
“It’s better than doing nothing, but the reality is we’re unlikely to be able to enforce it 100 per cent because we’re not going to be searching people’s backpacks every time they come in. That would probably be a human rights issue at some point.”
‘These issues simply explode’
The most up-to-date fireplace occurred early Wednesday in a set at Aneki Housing for Women at 535 Powell St., the place a visitor of the tenant had been charging an electrical bike. Staff was seen eradicating the charred and twisted bike from the constructing later in the morning.
Abbott’s info from employees was the visitor was not charging the unique or normal battery for the bike, which is per Vancouver Fire Rescue Services’ concern that fires are occurring largely as a result of chargers are being modified, or batteries tampered with from their authentic state.
In June, a person recognized by residents as Shayne Charleson died after a lithium-ion battery exploded in his room on the Empress Hotel, close to Main and Hastings streets. Charleson fell to his dying in the alley under.
Capt. Matthew Trudeau, public info officer for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, mentioned there was a complete of 5 fireplace deaths this yr associated to the batteries. Trudeau didn’t have all areas earlier than deadline, however mentioned the development considerations firefighters.
“We’re seeing these a lot in SROs where people are modifying these chargers, and then when it gets that incorrect voltage, it causes overheating, shorting and then these things just explode,” mentioned Trudeau, noting firefighters have reached out to housing operators in regards to the risks of the batteries.
“So people are modifying the chargers, but we are seeing a high occurrence with just lithium-ion batteries failing overall, as well.”
The three different battery-related fires reported by Atira occurred on the Patricia Hotel at 403 East Hastings St., at a small housing advanced at 566 Powell St. and on the Nora Hendrix non permanent modular housing constructing at 258 Union St.
The fireplace on the Patricia was reported late Monday night time. Four folks have been quickly relocated from seven rooms due to injury to the constructing, which has been dwelling to many former residents of the Strathcona homeless encampment.
Tenant ‘shaken up’ by fireplace
In the fireplace at Aneki, the tenant was moved right into a vacant house in the constructing till her room could possibly be cleaned up and deemed secure to occupy. Electricians have been on the constructing Wednesday to examine the suite for injury.
Taylor Bawn of Lux Electric mentioned there was minor injury to the realm the place the bike was being charged and to {the electrical} panel. Water injury, Bawn mentioned, was evident on the flooring under the second-floor suite.
“The water tends to get everywhere when they put these things out,” he mentioned from the sidewalk exterior the constructing. “There’s a lot of standing water in the hallways and stuff like that.”
Added Bawn: “I saw the tenant and she seemed fine. Just a little shaken up from having to move all her stuff, which got all wet.”
Bawn mentioned he and his co-worker, Max Chambers, have responded to extra calls not too long ago in Vancouver and Surrey involving fires brought on by lithium-ion batteries, largely in modular housing and single-room-occupancy buildings.
“I would say mainly because of scooters and bikes,” Bawn mentioned. “I don’t know if it’s the batteries just get so hot that they melt the charger and then start the fire, or what’s going on. But yes, it’s definitely these [electric] bikes and scooters that are causing it.”
The shift in latest years to folks utilizing electrical bikes and scooters is noticeable all through Vancouver, notably alongside bike routes. Chambers famous he simply bought an electrical scooter however mentioned he isn’t fearful about it exploding, or catching fireplace.
“It’s a top-of-the-line Segway Ninebot and Segway has been around for a long time, and I trust their company and hopefully my apartment won’t burn down,” he mentioned.
198 SRO fires in Vancouver this yr
Abbott mentioned her employees have been doing analysis on whether or not metal bins can be obtainable to permit for batteries to be charged, noting bikes and scooters are a mode of transportation for some tenants.
She additionally advised the City of Vancouver present secure and safe storage for electrical bikes and scooters, notably at outdated, crowded and wood-constructed single-room-occupancy buildings; Vancouver Fire Rescue Services says 198 fires occurred at SROs this yr, though information wasn’t obtainable on what number of have been linked to batteries.
In the meantime, all Atira’s constructing have arrange giant posters from the fireplace division that warn of the risks related to the batteries, together with cautioning folks to be to positive use the battery designed for the gadget and to not modify the battery.
mhowell@glaciermedia.ca
@Howellings