‘Worst day’: Fire chief says 2 found dead, 2 remain unaccounted for in Oshawa blaze
Posted March 22, 2021 5:34 am.
Last Updated March 23, 2021 2:43 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Two people have been found dead inside a home after a major fire on a strip of old row houses in Oshawa. Two others remain unaccounted for at this time.
The blaze broke out shortly before 1 a.m. Monday on Olive Avenue, in the area of the 401 and Harmony Road.
At one point, several neighbouring row houses were burning, but the bulk of the damage was contained to one unit.
Oshawa Fire Chief Derrick Clark said nine people were inside the home at the time and five made it out. Four were sent to the hospital and police said two adults and a 10-year-old child have serious injuries.
Clark added that three of the four people in hospital were released, with only one remaining. No further details were released about the victims.
It is believed that there were possibly children among the four others who were initially deemed “unaccounted for,” but their ages and other details are not being released at this time.
“This is the worst day for firefighters,” said Clark, visibly emotional. “This is very difficult. We’ve got four residents unaccounted for and at this time it’s not looking like it’s going to have a positive end.”
Firefighters were still putting out hotspots around noon and Clark said the structure is “extremely unstable.” Floors have collapsed on each other and crews have not been able to enter the home.
The construction of the homes, built in the early 1900s, also posed a challenge to the firefighters, since they are all interconnected. The chief said they are aware of the issues with such older homes and it will be “something we talk about” going forward.
In an update on Monday evening, Clark said that given the extensive damage to the home, a specialist team from Toronto Fire was requested to assist with the investigation. Subsequently, they were able to locate the two deceased individuals.
“After body removal is taking place in the next little while, we’ll be wrapping things up for tonight and returning tomorrow,” said Clark, adding that they have only been able to search a portion of the home. He said he will not speculate about the other two individuals at this time.
Seven neighbouring units have varying degrees of damage and the residents have been displaced. The chief said they will be allowed back into their homes, depending on the extent of water, smoke and roof damage.
Neighbours tell CityNews they heard screaming, but no fire alarms. Clark said it would be “very concerning” if there weren’t working smoke alarms in the unit.
“I don’t know how many times fire chiefs have to stand here and say this, over and over and over again — make sure you have working smoke alarms — but we really need to do something about this, especially in the province of Ontario.”
Oshawa fire is working on the investigation in conjunction with the coroner’s office as well as Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Fire Marshall’s (OFM) office.
Jim Lawson, operations manager with the OFM, said the investigation is expected to be long and will include whether the home had smoke alarms, any surrounding circumstances and any safety plans the residents may have had in place.
“Part of the origin and cause investigation is to see how that fire started and also how the spread of that fire [occurred],” he said.
Durham police added that investigators are speaking to anyone who was inside the residence at the time of the fire, but no details are available at this time.
The Oshawa Professional Firefighters Association (OPFFA) issued a statement Monday afternoon saying it “stands ready to assist our community and our fire department administration any way we can in response to this devastating fire.”
“Our thoughts are also with the brave fire fighters who responded to this emergency and maintained their professionalism in the face of extremely difficult circumstances. Every necessary resource will be made available to them as they cope with the results of this tragedy,” said OPFFA president Peter Dyson.
Read the full statement below:
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter also extended his condolences and support on behalf of the city and council.
“We are extremely saddened to hear of this tragic event,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends who have been impacted during this difficult time.”
Carter also thanked the city’s first responders and fire crews.
