4 dead in East Gwillimbury fire

Four people were killed in a house fire in East Gwillimbury, north of Newmarket, early Friday morning, police confirm.

They have been identified as Kevin Dunsmuir, 55, his wife Jennifer Dunsmuir, 51, and their sons Robert, 19, and Cameron, 16.

The Dunsmuirs’ eldest son David, 24, was away at university.

Police said someone inside the home on Howard Avenue, near Mt. Albert Road and Leslie Street, called 911 around 5:30 a.m., and police were the first to arrive.

The family was trapped in a bedroom at the front of the house and they died before firefighters could rescue them.

“We’re very saddened here today in East Gwillimbury,” Mayor Virginia Hackson said at a news conference.

“It’s a very difficult day for us as we mourn the loss of four residents … We’re a close community … It’s a very difficult time.”

Hackson said she knew the family.

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office is investigating and doesn’t yet know how the fire began or whether working smoke alarms were installed.

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