ORILLIA, Ont. - A coroner's jury has made 39 recommendations following an inquest into a fatal retirement home fire in Orillia.
The June 2009 fire at the Muskoka Heights Retirement Residence killed four people and left six elderly residents critically injured -- a toll fire officials called needless.
A number of the recommendations released Friday related to automatic sprinklers and the retrofitting of such sprinklers in retirement homes and assisted living centres.
Muskoka Heights did not have sprinklers and the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs notes this is the fourth coroner's jury to call for automatic sprinklers in nursing and retirement homes.
In addition, the jury recommended that smoke detectors be installed in all sleeping rooms, and automatic door closers and hold open devices be installed throughout the facilities.
The jurors also recommended that all fire departments should develop and implement regular mock evacuation programs for retirement residences.
