Investigators and excavators are moving to “slowly demolish and pull apart” a fire-ravaged home, searching for three missing people after a blaze which is already confirmed to have left two people dead and four seriously injured.
Officials in Peel Region said multiple 911 calls came in to report a massive house fire in Brampton after 2 a.m., with some evacuating themselves and reports others had fled to the roof.
Early on Thursday morning, first responders confirmed the fire near McLaughlin and Remembrance roads had broken out in a home with a multi-generational family and a basement unit.
They said 11 people were believed to live in the unit. Two were declared dead and four, including a child, were rushed to hospital in critical condition. Three more people, potentially including a child, were considered to be missing.
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Brampton Fire Chief Andy Glynn said the fire broke out at a home on Banas Way at around 2:30 a.m.
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Glynn said when firefighters arrived, there was heavy fire through the roof and a structural collapse within the home, which prevented them from accessing the entire structure.
“When they were able to get in, they found two people that were declared deceased on scene,” he said, adding one person was found just outside the home and another was found just inside the home.
Cory Tkatch, deputy chief for Peel paramedics, said the injuries included burns and smoke inhalation. He did not have an update on their condition when speaking to reporters Thursday morning, as they’ve been transferred to hospital care.
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Peel police Const. Tyler Bell said in an update around 11 a.m. that the child was around four years old and moving from critical to stable condition. He said the three adults remained in critical condition.
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He said the fire was so serious that it had led to a “significant collapse” in the building, which was making it hard to determine if others were still trapped inside.
Glynn said the Office of the Fire Marshal and a team of excavators had been called in to demolish the unit and initiate a new search.
The cause of the fire is unknown. Police said it is too early to say if the fire is suspicious or not. The fire spread to additional adjacent homes.
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“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and the entire community. This is a rather unfortunate circumstance this morning,” Glynn said.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is in the early stages of its investigation. Further updates are expected throughout the day.
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