Buildings face the greatest risk from fires during the construction phase. In recent years, there have been several examples across Canada of major construction site fires, including those in Calgary, Alberta in March 2015, Kingston, Ontario in December 2013 and Richmond, British Columbia in 2011.
Many risks exist at construction sites, including: The proximity of combustible materials to ignition sources (e.g. electrical equipment and hot work such as welding); the lack of completion of any built-in fire-safety systems such as sprinklers; the absence of doors, finished walls and other separations that may slow fire spread; and, potential site security issues.
