Optical illusion on highrise rooftop prompts people to call the fire department
On a chilly Monday evening earlier this month, firefighters rushed to a highrise at the corner of 109 Street and Saskatchewan Drive, ready to battle smoke and fire. Instead, they found steam. Something about the roof of the Strathcona House condo building at 10883 Saskatchewan Dr. has, for years, made it look like it’s on fire — especially on cold nights when exhaust steam settles on the roof and shrouds the aircraft warning light. Firefighters were called to the building, built in the late 1960s, twice in one month this year.
It’s a common phenomena with highrise buildings, said a district chief with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, and a not-insignificant contributor to the thousands of false alarms firefighters respond to each year.
“We’ll get the boilers running full blast, a lot of steam or exhaust coming off the roof,” said Russell Croome, deputy fire chief of public safety in Edmonton. “And especially right downtown, many or most of the taller buildings have a light on top.”
To passersby, the combination of light and steam can look like a column of flame.
“It’s gone down considerably, but we still definitely get those calls.”
In 2017, the fire service dealt with around 3,800 confirmed false alarms, up from 3,440 two years before and 1,286 in 2012.
Calls have risen in large part due to the popularity of residential and commercial alarm systems, said Croome. Those alarm systems can become hypersensitive if they absorb moisture or dust, or if they ’re improperly installed.
In response to the rise in false alarms, Edmonton in 2013 introduced increased fines for repeat offenders.
There is no charge for the first false alarm. Instead, fire crews will advise the building owner on proper placement, cleaning and maintenance of their alarm systems.
For commercial building owners, a second call within the calendar year carries a fine of $319. If fire crews have to respond a fourth time, they’ll send an invoice for $1,270.
Fees range from $83 and $813 for multiple false alarms at residential buildings,
Edmonton fire officials have long cited Strathcona House as a common source of false alarms due to its roof design and its highly visible location (the condominium association did not respond to a request for comment).
Patio barbecues, smoke from distant wildfires and summer thunderstorms were identified as some of the other environmental factors that can trigger alarm systems or lead people to call the fire department.
Croome said they’ve had some success in getting highrise building managers to move rooftop aircraft lights away from steam vents. Dispatchers will also try to get callers to take a closer look before sending out a crew.
Even though these types of calls eat up time and resources, he doesn’t want to discourage people from calling.
“We don’t mind if people phone in,” he said. “It’s totally with good intent, just trying to look out for their fellow neighbour. We don’t worry too much about those.”