Apartment residents grill council committee with concerns
Requests being made to help change the rules for outdoor electric barbecuing
Two residents of a Charlottetown apartment building are asking the city to help them light up their electric grills.
Margaret Stewart and Joe Pierce, who live on North River Road, made a presentation Monday to council’s standing committee on protective and emergency measures, which is responsible for issues around fire and fire safety.
Stewart asked the committee for its help in amending the provincial Fire Prevention Act “so that the hundreds and thousands of us who live in apartments in (Charlottetown) can have a barbecued burger once in a while.’’
Last year, the Charlottetown Fire Department and the provincial fire marshal stepped up effort to send notices to apartment building owners, reminding them of the fire regulations. The adopted codes of the fire prevention bylaw states that no hibachis, grills or other similar devices used for cooking, heating or any other purpose shall be kindled on any balcony, under any overhanging portion or within 10 feet of any structure.
While the rules have been in place for years, it usually has taken a complaint before things are enforced.
However, things changed drastically in July 2019 when a fire destroyed an apartment building on Harley Street. While the cause of the fire was linked to mulch outside a ground-level apartment catching fire and spreading, intense heat from the fire caused propane to be released from a barbecue propane tank, which added more fuel to the fire.
On Monday, Stewart told the committee the people in her building complied and turned to electric grills only to find out they’re against the rules as well.
The residents met recently with Charlottetown Fire Chief Randy MacDonald and Deputy Fire Chief Winston Bryan as well as Coun. Kevin Ramsay, vice-chairman of the protective and emergency services committee, to express their frustration.
Stewart said according to her research, the fire code that bans barbecues of any kind on patios of apartment buildings can be amended to allow electric barbecues. Florida made this exact change in 2017, and some jurisdictions across Canada have followed suit.
Stewart added that she recently grilled a pork chop in her panini press and it turned out great, but if she were to plug it in on her outdoor patio it would be considered against the bylaw.
Pierce said unlike propane and charcoal barbecues, electric grills don’t produce a flame.
“You get a flame from a propane barbecue,’’ Pierce said. “There’s fat on meat and it drops down into the barbecue and creates a flame. I bought the electrical barbecue and I’ve probably barbecued 10 times with it and there’s absolutely, positively no flame from an electric barbecue.’’
MacDonald said any changes to the fire code would have to go through the provincial fire marshal’s office. If there was support to make a change, the fire marshal would ask the province to amend the Fire Prevention Act.
Ramsay committed to sitting down with MacDonald and Peter Kelly, the city’s chief administrative officer, and drafting a letter of support for the residents that will go to the provincial fire marshal.
“We’ve got to show support for the residents and see if the bylaw can be changed,’’ Ramsay told The Guardian after the meeting.