Dan Smith, Director of Fire and Emergency Services / Fire Chief
In the early morning hours of Feb. 12, 2026, Belleville Fire and Emergency Services attended its 6th structure fire and 343rd emergency response of the year.
Six significant residential fires this early in the year has resulted in responders from fire, police and EMS working in extreme conditions to protect our community.
The safety of our residents is of the utmost importance.
Each of these fires have been investigated, all resulting from varying factors.
Unfortunately, there has been no identifiable trend. Statistics from the Office of the Fire Marshal for the province of Ontario show that over 70 per cent of fires occur in residential properties.
Of those fires, the three most common causes are related to cooking incidents at 16 per cent, electrical equipment at 9 per cent and cigarettes at 8 per cent.
To that end, our fire service cannot stress enough the importance of working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed on every level of the home, including outside of sleeping areas.
We urge every member of your family to plan their escape, know the meeting location and understand the importance of “once you are out, stay out” until emergency services can verify it is safe to return home.
For more information on fire safety practices, please visit www.ontario.ca/page/fire-safety-home.
If you wish to speak directly to a Fire Prevention Officer for tips, questions or concerns please contact fireprevention@belleville.ca or by calling 613-962-2010.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
