Bodies found inside burning home near Halifax

HALIFAX — The RCMP says a man has been arrested in connection with a fatal house fire in Halifax Wednesday in which at least two people died.

Police and firefighters were still at the scene of the blaze early Thursday, waiting to enter the structure to determine if more victims were inside.

RCMP Cpl. Karine Bernier earlier said a third person was unaccounted for.

She said a man was taken into custody at about 12:45 a.m. after he rammed two police vehicles with his car in the Milford area, about a half-hour drive from the scene.

Bernier said no officers were injured in the incident, which she said was linked to the fire. Police had not yet released the man's name or age.

Firefighters and police were still waiting to gain access to the burning home north of Halifax early Thursday.

Halifax Regional Municipality spokesman Brendan Elliott said via email that there were still hot spots in the house preventing crews from doing a safe and secure search.

"At this point all I can say is at least two bodies have been discovered," Elliott said.

The region said fire and emergency crews were sent to the home on Old Guysborough Road around 4:30 p.m. and the first truck arrived at the scene at 4:55 p.m.

In all, 30 firefighters from seven fire stations responded to the fire near Wyses Corner, where the home was engulfed in flames.

The home is in a rural, wooded area about 25 kilometres northeast of Halifax Stanfield International Airport and not far from Dollar Lake Provincial Park.

Elliott said one problem in fighting the fire was is a metal roof which kept the interior of the house extremely hot. Also, there was no natural way for the fire to ventilate out of the top of the house.

Photo Courtesy- CTV News