One person hurt in tent encampment fire near downtown Regina

A thick plume of black smoke was seen near Regina’s downtown area on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 12:40 p.m., Regina Fire and Protective Services responded to a tent encampment fire on the 1800 block of Halifax Street.

A social media post from Regina Fire said one person was treated by fire crews before being taken to hospital by EMS. Fire crews determined there were no other injuries.

Firefighters had the blaze under control in about 10 minutes.

In a statement early Wednesday, the fire department said the cause of the fire was due to the misuse of an open flame device.

“The fire started inside an individual tent near the victim,” the statement said, noting the fire wasn’t set intentionally.

Multiple homeless encampment fires led Regina Fire and Protective Services to call for a tent encampment to be decommissioned in front of Regina City Hall earlier this summer.

Fire Chief Layne Jackson made the announcement in late July that people living on the grounds had 24 hours to pack their things and leave.

At its height, there was 83 tents on the ground with 24 people onsite. One person died of a suspected overdose on the lawn. A candlelight vigil for Elisa (Lala) Tuckanow was held in the days following.

City Hall fenced off its grounds after everyone was moved off the lawn. Nearby, the Knox-Metropolitan United Church also fenced off its outdoor area due to multiple homeless encampment fires on the property.

Both fences are now down.

RFPS responded to a fire in an tent encampment 1800 Blk Halifax St at 12:39 pm. One patient treated by fire crews has been transported to hospital by EMS. Fire is under control and additional searches have determined no further injuries. Fire is under investigation #YQR pic.twitter.com/ZcyfEDjkl3

— Regina Fire (@Regina_Fire) October 17, 2023