In the wake of extensive fire damage to dozens of townhouse duplexes in south Edmonton last year, the Alberta government has designed a more stringent fire code for construction sites and homes.

The measures require:
• fire-resistant material behind vinyl siding on houses 1.2 m (3.9 ft) within the property line;
• new restrictions on windows at the sides of buildings close to each other;
• sprinklers on balconies, attics, and patios in multi-family construction;
• gypsum wallboard and heat detectors in residential garages; and
• more planning and fire-safety oversight to safeguard construction sites.

The province's new homes burn three to seven times faster from materials such as engineered wood products, which burn quicker and hotter than natural wood. Alberta is the site of 10 per cent of the country's fires, but accounts for 20 per cent of total property loss.

The province has decided not to wait until 2010's updated version of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) to implement changes. However, these measures only apply to new construction.