Activity for the Portage Fire Department in 2016 didn't raise any alarms, Fire Chief Phil Carpenter says.

The number total number of calls was similar to 2015, but there was an increase in one area. Carpenter says the number of structure fires has increased, with a number of residential blazes and a major industrial fire at Portage District Recycling Inc.

"Obviously those things aren't nice to see happen," says Carpenter. "But that's what has happened in 2016."

Carpenter adds, the 2016 Fire Prevention Week campaign saw 96 smoke alarms installed into residential houses in the community.

"That was good and bad to see," explains Carpenter. "It was good to see we were able to help them out with that. But we recognized there were quite a few homes out there that don't have smoke alarms, which isn't good."