The defendant, owner of a multi-unit residential building, was charged with five violations of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 relating to the Fire Code.
The charges involved: combustible materials stored in a means of egress; obstruction of a means of egress with items on stairs; obstruction of an exterior stairway; failure to maintain an exterior stairway in good repair; and a breach of fire separation requirements between dwelling units.
The defendant raised defenses of temporary storage and necessity, which were rejected.
The court found the defendant guilty on all five counts based on clear photographic evidence and testimony from the Fire Prevention Officer.
