The city says there were two illegal units in a rental home that went up in flames in Brampton three years ago, leaving a pregnant woman and her three-year-old daughter dead.<\/p>\n
The blaze happened on June 3, 2023, around 11 p.m. at home on Jade Crescent in Brampton. When firefighters arrived they found one person outside and two more trapped inside the house.<\/p>\n
A mother and her 3-year-old child following the fire.<\/p>\n
Fire Marshal Jon Pegg said there were were smoke alarms on both the second and third stories of the home, but no smoke alarms installed on the first floor or the basement level where the family resided.<\/p>\n
Now, more than three years later, the City of Brampton says an investigation found the property was originally registered as a legal two-unit Additional Residential Unit (ARU) dwelling, but had been converted into four units without the required permits.<\/p>\n
RELATED: \u2018A terrifying trend\u2019: Firefighters find no working smoke alarms in over 100 homes in Brampton<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe additional units were subsequently rented despite not meeting applicable Ontario Building Code and Fire Code requirements, putting occupants at serious risk. These violations were identified following the fatal fire at the property,\u201d the city says.<\/p>\n Brampton Fire and Emergency Services laid seven charges against the homeowner under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, leading to fines of $50,000 in fines, plus $10,000 in victim surcharges, 135 days of consecutive custody related to the smoke and CO alarm offences, and two years of probation.<\/p>\n Pegg said the convictions are an important reminder to every landlord in Ontario that they are legally responsible for ensuring required smoke alarms are installed and maintained in working condition.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking smoke alarms save lives by providing critical early warning when every second counts,\u201d Pegg said in a release. \u201cKnowing and complying with Ontario\u2019s Fire Code is essential to keeping people safe in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown called the fatal fire \u201ca tragedy our community will not forget.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile no investigation or court outcome can undo this profound loss, this tragedy is an important reminder of why fire safety requirements exist,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n A smoke detector safety blitz following the fire found no working smoke alarms in over 100 homes in Brampton.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) pilot project was first launched in 2024, requiring landlords in certain wards with properties that have four or fewer rental units to obtain a license to operate. The landlord licensing program went city-wide in 2026 following another deadly fire that killed three adults, a two-year-old toddler and an unborn baby in Brampton<\/a>.<\/p>\n