Local residents in a community near Peterborough are expressing grief and shock after a fire tore through a large cottage believed to be owned by a Toronto family, leaving two people dead and two others unaccounted for.
“The whole thing is just heartbreaking,” a local Stoney Lake businessman who knew the family well told cp24.com Sunday.
He said the family – a mother, father and two boys believed to be around 10 and 12 years of age – have been coming to the area for around nine or 10 years to vacation.
The parents—both lawyers – purchased a new cottage on the lake within the last couple of years and were looking forward to spending Christmas there, said the local man, who did not wish to be named.
The fire broke out at around 4 a.m. Saturday. Two people were found dead at the scene and two others are still unaccounted for. Two dogs also perished in the fire.
Investigators with the Office of the Fire Marshal remained at the scene Sunday to search through the rubble of the devastated cottage.
Ontario Provincial Police Const. Jason Folz told CP24 that there is still no indication as to how the fire started. He said it’s hard to say how long it will take investigators to complete their work as the cottage was almost completely destroyed.
Folz said investigators have been in touch with the family’s next of kin, but they are not releasing any identifying information at this time.
In the meantime, the local community is struggling to come to grips with the tragedy.
“I went down and looked at the building – I just can’t get it out of my head,” the local man who knew the owners told CP24.
He said the family was well-known in the area and involved in the local community.
Folz said police will likely provide a more substantial update on Monday.
