Firefighters found the body of a man at the scene of an apartment fire in Woodstock.
The fire started around 10 p.m. Tuesday at a building on Devonshire Avenue.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that 54-year-old Brad McCulloch was found dead in one of the units.
According to Woodstock Police, roughly 30 people were evacuated from the three-storey building as the fire spread.
The fire department arrived on scene quickly and encountered heavy smoke and flames.
Investigator Greg Way of the Woodstock Fire Department says the design of the building likely saved lives.
“The building is divided up into three sections with fire walls which is a great benefit because it prevents the spread of fire to the other parts of the building.”
Firefighters managed to contain the fire to a unit on the first floor although there was smoke damage to other apartments.
Diane Miele lives above the unit that burned and knew McCulloch.
“He was a very nice gentleman. He couldn’t walk good, poor soul. I saw him at 7:30 last night going out with his walker.”
She says she never saw him after that, assuming he was downstairs in his apartment.
Miele says she feels lucky to be alive after the dog she was taking care of woke her up during the night.
“I was sound asleep and he kept barking…He smelled the smoke coming from under by bedroom door and he woke me up,” Miele said.
Police say most residents of the building were let back inside Wednesday morning.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and an autopsy will take place to determine McCulloch’s cause of death.
With reporting by Tyler Calver
