Home »
Barbecues on balconies should be prohibited
Letter to the Editor
On Tuesday, July 16, a fire occurred at the Legacy II Apartments in Kelowna. It was confirmed by investigators to be caused by a barbecue on the second floor balcony. The fire spread along the outside of the building and collapsed the entire roof onto the fourth floor causing extensive damage to the structure.
Since then the use of barbecues on balconies of apartment buildings has come under scrutiny. Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services recommends that the use of propane barbeques or other such appliances be restricted from balconies that do not have sprinklers or where combustible exterior construction exists. We feel that such devices provide an undo hazard to the occupants of the building.
Jurisdictionally there is nothing that authorizes Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services to restrict the use of barbeques and such appliances on balconies of apartments. However, the apartment owner or strata has the ability to introduce and enforce such a policy, and it is our recommendation that it is a good safety practice to prohibit propane barbeques or other similar appliances on balconies in this type of construction.
Bill Munro, Fire Prevention Coordinator,
Cranbrook Fire & Emergency Services
