Can something be done to reduce the fire risk at condos and townhouses under construction in 91原创?

That was a question Township of 91原创 council looked at during its Monday, May 31 meeting, but ultimately there won鈥檛 be action until after the investigation into the cause of April鈥檚 massive condo fire is wrapped up.

Councillor Petrina Arnason put forward a motion asking that Township Fire Chief Stephen Gamble undertake a review to see if there were any changes the council could make to prevent future fires on that scale.

The blaze, on April 19 and 20, levelled a large portion of the condo and townhouse project at 80th Avenue and 208th Street in Willoughby. Clean up crews are still working on the site as of June and the standing portions of the project suffered significant damage.

Arnason noted that buildings under construction are more vulnerable to massive fires.

鈥淭he fire, for me, at 80th and 208th highlighted the fact of how vulnerable we are,鈥� she said.

She wondered if there are any practices that the Township could enforce to make them safer.

鈥淭here are a lot of what I consider to be loopholes which could be addressed by other methods, that could be made enforceable,鈥� she said.

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After some debate over the specifics of her motion, and whether it was too broad in scope, the council asked Gamble himself for some input.

The fire chief said he wanted to know just what the council was looking for.

鈥淎s far as the fire itself, it鈥檚 still under investigation,鈥� he said.

The cause of the blaze remains undetermined.

That helped make up council鈥檚 mind. A majority voted to hold off on looking into fire regulations until the report on the cause of the fire is delivered.

Coun. Bob Long noted that previous fires in 91原创 have changed legislation and made buildings safer.

A few months after a whole wing of the Paddington Square condo in 91原创 City burned down, the provincial fire code was changed to require sprinklers on exterior patios of all low-rise condos.

The Paddington fire is thought to have started with a cigarette that sparked a fire on a top-floor balcony. The fire got into the roof and attic, and then burned sideways and down, destroying the building.

Arnason and Coun. Margaret Kunst opposed the deferral.