‘The assumption is the worst right now’: 2 dead, 2 missing after Oshawa house fire

By News Staff

Fire officials in Oshawa say two people have been found dead at the scene of a fire that tore through several rowhouses early Monday morning.

There are no details released about the ages or gender of the deceased. Earlier in the day, family and friends said they feared the worst for two men and two children unaccounted for.

The fire broke out before 1:00 a.m. on Olive Avenue, in the area of the 401 and Harmony Road.

At one point, four or five units were burning.

Four people made it out of the building and two people remain unaccounted for.

Police say two adults and a 10-year-old child have serious injuries.

Family and friends have said they believe two children and two men did not escape the fire.

Durham regional police said Tuesday that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the identities of the bodies recovered.

The Office of the Fire Marshal said its investigators were at the scene on Tuesday, ready to get to work.

“The most important part right now is shoring up the building, making sure it’s safe for our investigators to do the investigation,” said Fire Marshal Jon Pegg.

“I can tell you this will be a very thorough and a very long investigation.”

Aaron Clague said his friend lived in one of the homes and managed to escape with his wife and their youngest son after the flames broke out around 2 a.m.

“He told the kids to follow them. They didn’t get out,” Clague said. “The assumption is the worst right now.”

The wife and son are being treated in hospital, but their condition is unknown, Clague said.

Sharon Powell, another family friend, said she came to the home after hearing about the blaze.

“All I could think of is the children and hoping they made it out,” she said.

Fire Chief Derrick Clark said the inferno had caused extensive structural damage, making the units too dangerous for fire crews to enter for the time being.

There is no word yet on what started the fire and the Oshawa Fire Service has requested the assistance of the Toronto Heavy Urban Search and Rescue unit HUSAR to assist with ongoing operations.

“The structure is extremely unstable right now. The fire was very, very intense, very difficult for our firefighters last night, and it’s going to take us some while to get things sorted out,” Clark said.

The President of the Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) issued a statement on Monday, saying their “thoughts are with those impacted by the terrible tragedy.”

“We share the grief of the loved ones who are learning the devastating news today and we are thinking of those who are now in hospital and we wish them a full recovery,” said President Peter Dyson.

“This tragedy impacts our whole community. It signifies that we must come together, like we always do in times of need to support the affected families, support each other and begin the long healing process… The Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association stands ready to assist our community and our fire department administration any way we can in response to this devastating fire.”

Durham regional police said they are conducting a parallel investigation into the fire.

The Office of the Fire Marshal said it has investigated three other fires on the same road in Oshawa.

There were two arsons – one in 2016 and one in 2002 – but no one died, a spokeswoman for the office said.

There was also an accidental fire in 2006 where one person died and careless smoking was determined to be the cause, the office said.

Thirty-two people have died in fires in January and February this year, according to data from the Office of the Fire Marshal.

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