Two landlords in Guelph, Ont. will pay a steep price for a fatal 2024 townhouse fire. Flames broke out at the Edinburgh Road South property on the morning of March 11. Two women were killed, while two others escaped with only minor injuries. Officials said the townhouse did not have working smoke alarms. The landlords, who were not identified, were subsequently prosecuted for their failure to follow the rules set out in Ontario’s Fire Code. On Thursday, the city revealed the landlords had been fined $37,500 and given two years probation. One of the two will also serve “50 days of consecutive incarceration.” “Incarceration for fire safety offences is not common,” Jennifer Charles, general manager of legal and court services and the city’s solicitor’s office, explained in a media release. “We hope the decision will serve as public education, showing other property owners the importance of fire prevention and life safety measures and the seriousness of their legal obligations under the fire code.” Officials reiterated their commitment to catch those who disregard safety laws. “No family should have to endure a tragedy like this,” said Acting Fire Marshal John McBeth. “I want to extend our deepest condolences to the Blei-Niebler family and all those affected by this tragic loss of life.” Safety message Officials pleaded with residents and homeowners to make safety a priority in the days following the tragedy. “Please, please, please, let this be the last day that your home is unprotected from fire,” urged Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg at a press conference on March 14, 2024. Guelph’s fire chief shared his concerns. “All too often we are finding homes without working smoke alarms,” Brian Arnold explained. “They are either not installed, expired, had their batteries removed, or the alarms are removed all together.” As part of their investigation, the fire department inspected all the townhouses in the Edinburgh Road South complex. “Investigators found seven units either lacked functioning smoke alarms or had them removed, four units did not have carbon monoxide (CO) alarms, and 14 units were unoccupied or nobody answered,” the city said in a media release. “The other units were equipped with both smoke and CO alarms.” Fire safety laws Smoke alarms are mandatory in the province. Under Ontario’s Fire Protection and Prevention Act, landlords can be fined up to $50,000 and spend a year behind bars. “Ensuring tenant safety is both an ethical obligation and a legal requirement for landlords,” said Fire Chief Steven Goode. “The City of Guelph’s zero-tolerance policy for smoke alarm violations results in automatic fines or legal action against property owners who fail to have working smoke alarms on every storey and outside every sleeping area.” The fire code was updated in January 2026 to require CO detectors near all bedrooms. The alarms must also be placed on every storey of a home that has a fuel-burning appliance (such as a furnace, water heater, or stove that uses natural gas, propane, oil or wood), a fireplace, an attached garage, or air for heating that comes from a fuel-burning appliance outside the home (for example, a utility shed). There are also additional requirements for multi-unit and apartment buildings, as well as group homes and facilities.
