Authorities said they were well acquainted with a Pandora Street home that was destroyed in a Tuesday-night fire that claimed the lives of three of its seven rental occupants.
According to neighbours, the home played host to loud and sometimes alcohol-fuelled gatherings, and emergency personnel visited 21 times in three years.
Despite its notoriety, officials said Tuesday night’s fire was purely accidental and not caused by “any underlying condition.”
“Over the last few months, the city has been engaged in actions under numerous bylaws including … the property being illegally rented out as a rooming house,” the city said in a press release.
“This landlord has a long history with failure to comply with inspection orders, and will habitually perform the minimum repairs necessary to avoid prosecution.”
According to the release, city inspectors hadn’t noticed any “critical life safety issues.”
“The city was in the process of pursuing further legal action against the landlord — injunction to have the building vacated and revoking the business licence — when the fire occurred.”
