THUNDER BAY — One person was injured in a tent fire early Monday at an encampment at Prince Arthur's Landing.
Paramedics took the individual to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for treatment of a burn to one of his hands.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue reported it received an alarm about a fire at the Freedom Park encampment, near the overpass at the north end of Prince Arthur's Landing, at about 5 a.m.
Crews were able to extinguish the fire quickly, but not before it had consumed the tent.
This is the second recent fire at an encampment in the city.
Tragically, one person died and two others were injured in a tent fire last week at Kam River Heritage Park.
Holly Gauvin, executive director of Elevate NWO, said "None of this should be surprising. Tent fires will continue to happen as people seek out warmth."
She said these individuals are desperate, and when the weather turns cold they will use a variety of heating sources, "whatever they can find...whatever they can manage."
Gauvin, whose organization provides support services for individuals living in encampments, said the fires show why it's essential to find safer accommodations.
"The answer to the housing crisis is not more blankets. It's housing," she said.
In November, Elevate NWO called on the Ontario government to commission an audit of vacant social housing units in the city.
"We're on the record as saying it's time for the province to step up and help manage this crisis" she reiterated Monday. "We have vacancies in our social housing...They need to be fixed up, but why aren't they? I would suspect it's a lack of funding or a lack of resources. I want the government to explain why we're not getting those resources."
This story was updated at 1:12 pm to include comments from the executive director of Elevate NWO
