Two people hurt in fire at Energy Court encampment

A tent fire caused by a propane heater at Sudbury's Energy Court encampment sent one person to hospital and injured another.

Two people were injured Tuesday in a fire caused by propane heaters being used at the encampment on Energy Court in Sudbury.

Deputy fire chief Jesse Oshell said the heaters set the tent and other materials on fire.

Two people were burned – one badly enough to be sent to hospital, Oshell said.

Fire officials have warned for years of the dangers of using propane heaters in the tents.

Last December, several of the tanks exploded, sending one woman to hospital.

Police said the Dec. 1, 2024, fire started when someone lit a cigarette as someone else was trying to start a propane heater.

The tanks were being used both for heat and for cooking, fire officials said.

The Energy Court encampment is near an overnight warming station the city is operating for the winter, inside the former safe consumption site.

As winter sets in, officials in Greater Sudbury say there are 211 people living outdoors across 50 locations, with the one at Energy Court growing because it’s next to services.