"There are more fires and more fire deaths proportionately on Manitoba First Nations than anywhere else in the province, but there's no evidence that the grim statistics, like the negative numbers associated with life on reserves in general, will provoke the fundamental changes that are needed to reverse the trend.

The latest disaster occurred Monday at Gods Lake Narrows when a house fire killed a man and his two grandchildren. As in previous cases, there was much hand-wringing and finger-pointing, but no clear sense of who, if anyone, was responsible for preventing more tragedies in the future.

The Manitoba Fire Commissioner and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs have agreed to jointly fund a fire prevention officer who will conduct risk assessments and analysis on each of the province's 63 reserves. The officer will then prepare reports with a list of recommendations for the communities. Requests for funding to address the shortcomings identified in the reports presumably will follow.

It's a sound, methodical approach that will deal with education, prevention and the resources that might be needed to ensure an adequate level of overall protection. Special measures, moreover, might be needed to deal with chronic overcrowding, which increases the risk of accidental fires."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Fires of despair on reserves (The Winnipeg Free Press 3/17)

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