Investigators will be probing the circumstances surrounding an early morning house fire in North York that left two people dead.
The fire broke out at a detached home on Anthia Drive, located near Islington and Steeles avenues, at around 4 a.m.
“Upon our arrival, our crews were met with heavy smoke conditions, they forced their way into the house, started their primary search, and immediately found two elderly occupants in the house,” Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop told reporters at the scene on Tuesday morning.
Life-saving measures were attempted on the front lawn of the home before the two occupants were transported to hospital by paramedics.
Jessop said the elderly man and woman were subsequently pronounced dead in hospital.
“I want to extend our deepest condolences to those impacted by this double fatal fire,” he added.
“These scenes are always very difficult for all first-responders.”
Fire crews would have had near-zero visibility inside the home when they located the two occupants this morning, Jessop noted.
“There was a significant amount of smoke damage in that building for sure,” he said.
Jessop said it is too early to tell if the fire is suspicious.
Investigators with Toronto Fire Services, Toronto police, and the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) will be probing the deadly blaze. The Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Unit (HUSAR) will also be on scene.
Jessop said the precise origin of the fire is not yet known but it appears to have started near the bedroom.
Speaking to reporters at the scene on Tuesday afternoon, OFM spokesperson Jim Demetriou said structural engineers will be brought in to assess the structural integrity of the building.
When the house in deemed safe to enter, investigators will be able to begin their work into the cause, origin and circumstances surrounding the fire.
“At this point, there is not too much information we can share as this is very preliminary in regards to our investigation," he added.
