The developer of the six-storey, wood-frame building in Richmond that burned to the ground in a massive fire in May says he will implement the fire safety recommendations put forth by Surrey's fire chief when he rebuilds the project.
Len Garis, Surrey's fire chief and president of the Fire Chiefs' Association of B.C., called for safety measures such as the earlier installation and activation of sprinklers and fire doors to prevent construction fires in large wooden buildings, such as the Remy project in Richmond, or the similar Quattro fire in Surrey in 2008.
"Even though the recommendations made by Garis are specifically for developments in Surrey, we respect his perspective and are making moves forward to ensure any recommendations not already in place are implemented," said Dana Westermark, Remy developer and president of Oris Consulting Ltd. Westermark expects the rebuilding to begin as early as August, he told the Vancouver Sun.
The biggest changes Westermark plans to implement will be to install fire doors as each floor goes up, and to make sure those doors are closed when workers go home for the night. Also, thermal imaging cameras will be used for four hours to scan for hot spots after any hot work such as soldering or welding, Westermark said.
The developer will expect his workers to be more rigorous with wetting down areas where hot work is taking place, and whenever possible this type of work will be done in secure areas away from the wooden structure.
Westermark said it's not common practice in B.C. to activate sprinklers during construction because it can lead to challenges such as freezing pipes. However, he said he will explore how this recommendation can be adopted at Remy.
"The fact of the matter is sixstorey wood-frame buildings are the way of the future for residential buildings in urban settings like Metro Vancouver in order to accommodate population growth," Westermark said.
Previously, wood-frame buildings were limited to four storeys due to fire risk and structural concerns. The code was changed in 2009 as part of the B.C. Wood First Act, which aimed to stimulate the province's timber industry.
"Our company, as well as most other major developers in B.C., is continuing to look at developing other six-storey wood-frame projects," Westermark said. "That said, we're dedicated to finding the safest building methods and practices to produce the high-quality homes that our buyers want."
Under the new Surrey rules, contractors will be required to submit detailed fire safety plans during the permit approval stage, Garis said. Fire safety plans have always been required, but the new Surrey guidelines formalize and fully develop the requirements of the plan.
Garis is urging other fire departments to follow Surrey's lead, and said that any fires that do happen will be smaller, more contained and then will potentially be extinguished by the new systems.
The cause of the Remy fire is still unknown.
The Remy, at 9388 Cambie Rd., is a 188-unit condo project slated to include 81 affordablehousing units and a daycare.
