Close X
Saturday, November 23, 2024
ADVT 
National

2 Adults, 2 Children Killed In Oshawa, Ont., House Fire; 3 Others In Hospital

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 08 Jan, 2018 01:32 PM
    OSHAWA, Ont. — Two adults and two children have been killed in a house fire east of Toronto that also sent three other people to hospital, fire officials said Monday.
     
    Fire Chief Derrick Clark said a man, a woman and two children — a boy and a girl — died in the morning blaze in Oshawa, Ont. The condition of the three people taken to hospital was not known, he said.
     
    "This is a tragic event," Clark told a news conference. "I want to offer my sincere condolences to the families, all the families involved in this."
     
    Firefighters faced heavy smoke and flames when they arrived at the scene a little after 8 a.m., and had to fight the flames from the outside before attempting to rescue those inside.
     
    "They knocked the fire down from the outside, knowing that there was reports of people trapped, and made entry and made their way up to the upper levels of the house," Clark said.
     
    At one point, fire crews had to pull back as conditions worsened before regrouping and resuming their search and rescue efforts, Clark said.
     
    The residence had been divided into a number of apartments, he said.
     
    "From our initial reports we have two units in this house, but possibly more," he said.
     
    The cause of the fire wasn't yet known, but damage was most extensive at the rear of the building, Clark said.
     
    Whether the home had working smoke detectors would be part of the investigation into the blaze, he said, noting crews faced difficult conditions.
     
    "This fire was at the height the snow storm this morning ... very difficult conditions, both for crews driving en route here as well as fighting this fire," he said.
     
    A woman who works at a nearby convenience store, CW FoodMart, said when she got to work, the home two doors down was on fire with smoke billowing out and flames shooting through the top floor.
     
    She said residents of the home often shopped at the store, including a family with two children and their mother.
     
    "It's very sad, very sad," said Elena, who didn't want to provide her last name.
     
    Oshawa Mayor John Henry said it's always upsetting when there's a loss of life.
     
    "To the families, we pass on our deepest sympathies," he said.
     
    Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal will be working with local officials to investigate the blaze.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Five Things To Do At Royal B.C. Museum: All Of British Columbia In One Place

    Five Things To Do At Royal B.C. Museum: All Of British Columbia In One Place
    VICTORIA — Walk into the Royal British Columbia Museum and find yourself staring deep into the heart and soul of Canada's western-most province through the darkened hues of an Emily Carr rainforest canvass or the psychedelic paint job on John Lennon's Rolls Royce.

    Five Things To Do At Royal B.C. Museum: All Of British Columbia In One Place

    Man Keeps Unopened Christmas Gift From Girl Who Dumped Him Almost 50 Years Ago

    Man Keeps Unopened Christmas Gift From Girl Who Dumped Him Almost 50 Years Ago
    Back in 1970, Adrian Pearce was a 17-year-old Grade 12 student at George S. Henry Secondary School in Don Mills, Ontario, looking forward to Christmas vacation.

    Man Keeps Unopened Christmas Gift From Girl Who Dumped Him Almost 50 Years Ago

    Deceased Newborn Found In Northwest Calgary Parking Lot

    Deceased Newborn Found In Northwest Calgary Parking Lot
    Calgary's Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a newborn baby whose body was discovered in a parking lot.

    Deceased Newborn Found In Northwest Calgary Parking Lot

    John Horgan Says Next Year's Electoral Reform Referendum Likely B.C.'s Last Attempt

    VICTORIA — A pact with the Green party that allowed the NDP to form a minority government in British Columbia is a working example of electoral reform ahead of a referendum on the issue next year, Premier John Horgan says.

    John Horgan Says Next Year's Electoral Reform Referendum Likely B.C.'s Last Attempt

    B.C. Premier John Horgan Says Housing Top Issue For 2018, But Much More On NDP To-Do List

    B.C. Premier John Horgan Says Housing Top Issue For 2018, But Much More On NDP To-Do List
    Here's a list of the consultations, audits and reviews the government is expected to complete or undertake in 2018:

    B.C. Premier John Horgan Says Housing Top Issue For 2018, But Much More On NDP To-Do List

    What A Federal Ethics Report Reveals About How Justin Trudeau Sees His Job

    What A Federal Ethics Report Reveals About How Justin Trudeau Sees His Job
    Some prime ministers view themselves as a CEO who set ideas and are the face of the government, leaving the heavy lifting to their ministers or senior civil servants. Others consider themselves the CEO types who are more involved in the day-to-day operations.

    What A Federal Ethics Report Reveals About How Justin Trudeau Sees His Job