Ontario’s Fire Marshal has determined there were no working smoke alarms in the tragic house fire that killed four people, including a seven-year-old boy, in Toronto’s east-end earlier this year.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) and Toronto Fire Services have determined that the January fire at 95 Gainsborough Road, near Coxwell Avenue and Eastwood Road, was caused by an electrical failure in the dining room ceiling.
“The investigation that was jointly conducted by Toronto Police, the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Office of the Fire Marshal and Toronto Fire has concluded that there were no working smoke alarms in that house at the time of this fire and without a doubt that absolutely played a significant role in this tragedy,” Acting Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop told CP24.
The massive 3-alarm blaze erupted at the home at around 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 29.
The entire second floor of the home was fully engulfed. Two adjacent homes were also impacted by the fire and the occupants were evacuated.
Arija Celeste, 30, was rushed to hospital with serious injuries, and another resident, Jade Jacobis, was also taken to hospital with minor injuries.
However, Celeste’s seven-year-old son, Kai, along with her mother Jana, both died in the fire.
Matthew Zdybal, 31, who had been visiting the home, and 33-year-old Amanda Freimanis, who lived in the home, also died in the fire.
A number of firefighters sustained minor injuries while responding to the blaze.
Celeste was released from hospital less than a week after the fire and stayed with loved ones as she recovered from her injuries, which included scratches, burns and the effects of smoke inhalation.
"Everyone must take fire safety seriously. Keep your family safe and make sure you have working smoke alarms and practice a home fire escape plan so everyone knows what to do when the alarm sounds," Celeste said in a statement.
Celeste’s friend said a total of 11 people were displaced as a result of the fire.
Fire officials are reminding residents to ensure working smoke alarms are installed on every storey of a home, to change batteries annually and replace smoke alarms every 10 years.
Jessop is also urging people to exit their homes immediately once a fire starts instead of trying to gather items or fight the fire themselves.
“Our message continues to be the minute you hear your smoke alarms activate, you gather your loved ones, you follow your home escape plan that hopefully you practiced, you exit the building, and you call 911 from outside. You do not stay in for any reason and try and fight the fire,” he said.
The OFM is encouraging residents to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and test them this weekend as clocks jump ahead by one hour on Sunday for Daylight Saving Time.
