May 6, 2026
In response to the house fires in Pitt Meadows on Sunday, May 3 and the article in the Maple Ridge - Pitt Meadows News on May 5, 2026, the following statement has been issued by Mark Roberts, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Pitt Meadows:
The City of Pitt Meadows recognizes and appreciates the dedication and professionalism of our firefighters, who work tirelessly to protect our community in challenging circumstances. We are grateful for their service and for the response to Sunday’s fire.
Like many municipalities across British Columbia and Canada, Pitt Meadows is experiencing challenges with the paid-on-call recruitment and retention model. This is a sector-wide issue, not one unique to our community. Recognizing these pressures, Council has made significant investments in Pitt Meadows Fire & Rescue in recent years to strengthen frontline response capacity and improve service delivery, including establishing 24-hour career firefighter coverage, the hiring of nine firefighters in 2023 and an additional four in 2025, more than doubling the City’s firefighting force in less than three years. As a result, the department today is operating under a much stronger model than it was several years ago.
The City is proactively undertaking a Fire Protection Master Plan, with recommendations expected before Council in early 2027, to help guide the future of fire service delivery in Pitt Meadows. This builds on significant recent investments, including the opening of a new fire hall in April 2023 with a modern Emergency Operations Centre, reflecting the City’s continued investment in strong, resilient emergency services infrastructure.
Public safety remains one of the City and Council’s highest priorities. We remain committed to working collaboratively with firefighters, leadership and Council to ensure our community continues to receive effective and reliable fire protection services.
Learn more about the department at pittmeadows.ca/fire.