Thick smoke curled over Audrey Milligan Park late Saturday afternoon, curling through the branches above clusters of tents and shelters, as city firefighters raced to a blaze threatening Barrie’s oldest homeless encampment.
Barrie Fire and Emergency Service crews were dispatched to the scene, a natural area stretching more than eight acres at the corner of Perry and Boys streets. The encampment, home to nearly 40 people, faced a sudden threat when fire erupted in a ten-square-metre structure hidden among the trees.
Deputy fire chief Eric MacFadden explained that access posed the biggest obstacle: with tents and improvised shelters densely packed under the canopy, simply getting crews and equipment into position demanded ingenuity and urgency. “The biggest thing was getting access to it. Once they had access, they put it out,” MacFadden recounted. The cause appeared to be a heating device used inside the structure—an all-too-familiar attempt at warmth during Ontario’s unpredictable spring.
Despite the potential for tragedy, no injuries were reported and, as MacFadden noted, “there was nobody around, which is typical.” Quick intervention spared both lives and the wider encampment from further harm. The flames consumed the small structure but failed to leap to neighbouring tents or trees, a testament to both luck and professional precision.
Audrey Milligan Park has long been a haven for some of Barrie’s most vulnerable residents, its landscape dotted with makeshift homes, its population largely invisible to the city beyond. Fires in such settings present unique hazards—not just to those living there, but also to emergency responders and the broader public. This incident, while not the first challenge for Barrie firefighters, was the first fire in the area in recent memory, underscoring both the ongoing risks and the resilience of those who call the park home.
For the residents, the fire was a narrow miss. For city officials, it’s a stark reminder that safety in public spaces is a shared responsibility. As the season turns and cold nights linger, the intersection of shelter, safety, and public health will remain in sharp focus.
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Structure fire sends Barrie firefighters to homeless encampment
