In an effort to minimize the number of high intensity residential fires, the Alberta government recently announced a number of initiatives that will change the way houses are built in the province.

The changes should make them safer and more resistant to spreading flames to neighbouring homes if they catch fire.

Ray Danyluk, Alberta's minister of Municipal Affairs accepted most of the recommendations received from the High-Intensity Residential Fires Working Group, created by the province to study the fires and bring forward solutions.

"We have analyzed the report carefully, and we are now taking action to reduce the occurrence and severity of residential fires,"said Danyluk in a press release.

A high intensity residential fire is one involving rapid heat release that spreads beyond the point of origin and usually involves adjacent properties.

Between 2000 and 2007, there were 86 high intensity residential fire in Alberta and roughly one third began on construction sites. Most were caused either by acts of arson or human error.

In July of 2007, flames destroyed 18 homes and damaged 76 more in the neighbourhood of MacEwan in Edmonton.

A 149-unit condo unit that was in the midst of construction was also destroyed in the flames.

Fire crews in Edmonton later revealed that the fire was deliberately set.

After the MacEwan fire, a working group led by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency was expanded and given the task of researching and recommending ways to reduce the occurrence and severity of these types of fires.

A large focus will be placed on public education but there are also improvements to fire code and methods to promote construction safety.

Among the recommendations for building code reform include requiring all homes that are built 1.2 metres from their property line to include fire-resistant gypsum wallboard under the vinyl siding.

The research group recommended increasing the minimum space requirements between new homes.

The government will submit these proposed changes to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes for further study, which would include studying additional costs of increasing the minimum distance to 1.5 metres.

Other recommendations include improved requirements for new multi-family buildings including sprinklers for balconies, attics and crawl spaces.

New homes with attached garages will also require fire detectors and gypsum wallboard in the garages.

"Homes are safe, and these changes make them safer. When there's a fire, these changes buy time for people to get out of their homes, and for firefighters to respond," he said.

The government will now submit the proposed changes to Alberta's code development and adoption process.

—Dan Leahul is a Calgary Real Estate News resident reporter