Published Apr 01, 2025 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 3 minute readA side entrance to the former St. Patrick’s – Alexandra School is seen on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALDThe union representing Halifax regional firefighters says both the public and firefighters need to be cautious around derelict buildings in the municipality.Halifax Professional Fire Fighters, which is Local 268 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, posted on Facebook Sunday morning that they had conducted a site inspection of the abandoned St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School, which they respond to frequently.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentDuring the visit they noted many hypodermic needles discarded on the ground, unsecured entry points to the building and signs that people are living in the structure. Several rooms had what the post described as “dangerously-high fire loads.”The inspection came after a fire in the building last Wednesday. The former St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School on Tuesday. Halifax firefighters have responded to a dozen fires in the building in the past year. Photo by Ryan Taplin /The Chronicle Herald“Abandoned buildings like this one are high-hazard sites. The risks to our members and the public are well known – and rising,” the post said.Within hours of the post, firefighters were again at the building to extinguish two fires on the third floor.No one from the union was available to comment on Tuesday, but in a statement said that with these fires coming just weeks after a major blaze at the abandoned Bloomfield school property, everyone needs to be cautious and vigilant.“Our members are trained and ready to respond, but each of these calls introduces serious risks – not only to firefighters, but to members of the public who may be inside or near these properties,” the statement said.Article content“Derelict buildings are not just urban decay – they are high-hazard zones. The frequency and severity of recent incidents speak for themselves.” An entrance to the former St. Patrick’s-Alexandra School on Tuesday. Photo by Ryan Taplin /THE CHRONICLE HERALDHalifax Fire deputy chief Dave Meldrum said the department has been called to St. Pat’s 12 times in the last 12 months for fires.“We’re reminding everyone that these vacant buildings are dangerous, and trespassing just shouldn’t happen and should he discouraged,” he said.“We hope that folks will understand that while it may be tempting for folks to go into vacant buildings for shelter or to have a look around. It’s very dangerous.”Those dangers include the lack of safety systems like emergency lighting, fire alarms and sprinkler systems.Compounding that is they’re hard to get into, hard to move around in, and hard to get out of,” Meldrum said. “Passageways, stairways, and exits may be blocked and inaccessible, so it’s a very hazardous situation for anyone who might be in there should a fire start, and it’s a big danger for our firefighters who have to respond into those conditions.”Article content The process of knocking down the former Bloomfield School in Halifax began on Feb. 19, following a fire resulting in an unstable structure. Photo by Tim Krochak /The Chronicle HeraldHe said while St. Pat’s and Bloomfield are most in the public eye, “there are vacant buildings virtually in all districts of the municipality at one time or another, and (the concerns) hold true for all of them, whether it’s a house or a large commercial building, a large unused warehouse or a school.”Without the emergency systems in place in abandoned buildings, the possibility exists that a fire may be too far advanced for fire crews to attempt to search inside for anyone.“When the conditions are so severe that safe entry for firefighters is not reasonable, that puts them in a moral quandary,” Meldrum said. “It is very difficult to be a firefighter on scene at one of these vacant or derelict buildings and be asking yourself, ‘what are the chances that someone is in there, and what are our risk strategies around that.’”Recommended from Editorial Fire destroys building at vacant Bloomfield School complex As winter nears, fire inspector fears more people will seek shelter in former Halifax school N.S. developer appealing fire inspector’s order for former Bloomfield School: ‘This vacant building’s structural integrity is in question’ Article content
Halifax regional firefighters say dangers abound around abandoned buildings
