The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said it responded to two deaths at homeless encampment fires with other first responders. “On Saturday, November 4, at approximately 7:15 p.m., first responders including EPS members were called to a tent fire in an encampment behind a shelter near 100 St. and 105A Ave.,” said EPS in a Tuesday statement.“It was reported to police that the tent was occupied at the time by a 54-year-old male, who succumbed to his injuries.”While the initial incident does not appear to be suspicious, EPS said final determination is pending the Edmonton Fire Rescue Services’ (EFRS) investigation and any findings of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). On Sunday around 5 p.m., it said first responders including EPS and EFRS responded to another tent fire in an encampment at 95 St. and 105A Ave. An unidentified female, believed to be in her mid-20s, was discovered deceased inside the multilayered tent after the fire was extinguished. “This incident remains under investigation at this time, pending reports for EFRS and the OCME,” it said. The City of Edmonton had homeless people, gang members and drug addicts on the move once again after it removed a high-risk tent city from behind Rogers Place in August. READ MORE: City removes high risk homeless encampment by Rogers Place in Edmonton“The city has been monitoring a growing encampment site along 102 St. and 104 St., south of 106 Ave., for the past few weeks,” said the City of Edmonton. “This site was assessed as being high risk to the personal safety of those living in and around it and therefore required closure to ensure public safety.”
