File photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

FIRE CODE

Single-stairwell buildings not permitted in Kamloops as city, fire chief aim to clarify provincial regulations

Mar 2, 2026 | 6:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops Fire Rescue and the city’s building department are hoping to provide council and the public with information around building codes and the fire code, in a bid to clear up some confusion about the rules around stairwell safety rules for new buildings.

This comes almost two years after the province of B.C. allowed buildings up to six storeys to have one exit stairwell instead of two in an effort to boost housing supply. While all new buildings designed under the changes will require things like sprinklers, smoke-management systems and wider stairwells, there were still concerns raised about safety.

When the province changed the building code, it also allowed fire departments to determine whether they were able to fulfill their duties in these single-stairwell buildings.

In Kamloops, permits for single-stairwell buildings will not be issued, based on direction from the fire chief.

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“You have to be able to secure a water supply, attack the fire, rescue trapped occupants,” Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc said. “With part of our work we also conduct ventilation and other things to improve the fire attack, we have to have backup and safety crews in place, and we search for people who may be trapped.”

“With all those components, we just don’t have the capacity to then also have dedicated staff to assist occupants with egress.”

The capacity issue relates directly to staffing as Kamloops Fire Rescue operates with 22 firefighters on duty at any given time. In the case of large-scale structure fire, all of those crews are utilized.

“A single‑egress stairwell building creates a dangerous situation for both the public and firefighters because it relies on a single path for escape and entry during an emergency,” reads the report to council. “If the stairwell is blocked by smoke, fire, or an occupant with limited mobility, everyone above the fire can become trapped with no alternative route to safety.”

“Smoke can rapidly fill a single exit, reducing visibility and survivability long before flames reach occupants. For firefighters, a single egress means there is only one way in and out, increasing the risk of being cut off or encountering opposing occupant flow during rescue operations.”

Uzeloc did note that Kamloops Fire Rescue plans to review the criteria once again as they bring on more members.

“We will have to sit down and look at the critical tasking that is required for that type of operation and figure out how many staff we need to be able to do that,” Uzeloc added. “Right now it’s just not there.”