By rdnewsNOW staff

Owners fined following fire at home with illegal secondary suite

Jan 4, 2019 | 9:57 AM

The City of Red Deer is reminding property owners to be in compliance with bylaws and safety codes following a fire last year at a home with an illegal secondary suite.

The fire on January 9, 2018 left a family and three tenants in a single-family home with an illegal secondary suite at risk, according to Red Deer Emergency Services.

Two people received medical treatment as a result of the fire.

Property owners Asif Ambreen and Khan Ullah Kashan were charged under the Safety Codes Act. Each plead guilty and received a $7,000 fine (for a total of $14,000 plus a 15 per cent Victims Surcharge).

The maximum fine under the Safety Codes Act for an illegal secondary suite is $100,000 for each offense and/or jail time of up to six months.

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A secondary suite, defined as a separate dwelling inside a single-family home, must meet the Alberta Fire and Building Codes minimum standards.

City officials say illegal secondary suites put tenants at risk as they typically do not have hardwired interconnected smoke alarms, proper fire separations or adequate bedroom windows.

Secondary suites are allowed on a discretionary basis in single-family homes in Red Deer. Property owners require a development and building permit for the use of a secondary suite.

More information is available at reddeer.ca/permits.