There was another structure fire in Sarnia over the weekend.
Fire officials say it broke out around 7:40am Saturday at a triplex in the 100-block of Queen St.
Damage is estimated at $20,000. Six occupants got out safely, although there was no smoke alarm in the unit.
Fire Prevention Officer Roel Bus says the fire originated in the kitchen.
He says so far this year, Sarnia Fire and Rescue has attended 30 structure fires, that's usually what they see in a year.
"There's a specific section for cooking-related fires that are not a structure fire, so it's like a pot on the stove that didn't actually get into the kitchen yet kind of a pre-fire condition, there were 19 of those," says Bus. "It just happens that people were home and it was caught. If it wasn't, then those would have been structure fires as well so then you're looking at almost 50."
Bus says that also doesn't include brush or vehicle fires.
There haven't been any fatal fires so far this year in Sarnia, and Bus says properly installed smoke alarms are part of the reason.
"We are actually starting to use the legislation a little bit more, like we're writing tickets for not having a smoke alarm," says Bus. "I just want the citizens to be aware that it is the law, it's not just a good idea, it is the law and we stress it as something that is going to save your life. We are going to write a ticket if we don't find a smoke alarm in your home."
