'Such outcomes are unspeakable': Fatal fire in Waterloo under investigation
Flames and smoke could be seen shooting out of a home on Graham Street in Waterloo shortly after midnight on Monday, creating a scene that firefighters say was intense before they arrived.
“When they turned off of Weber Street onto Roger, they could see the glow of the fire and smoke. That in addition to multiple calls about the fire, they knew that they were responding to a very significant incident,” Waterloo Fire Chief Richard Hepditch said.
Fire officials were able to get the fire under control just after 3 a.m., but multiple people were sent to hospital, including a 54-year-old woman who was pronounced dead.
A 58-year-old man and a 30-year-old man were also rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Such outcomes are unspeakable. There’s no way that we can know how the family is grieving and feeling, but we can get behind them as a community as family friends and loved ones to help out,” said Hepditch.
“Our crews also were able to perform a rescue from the exterior of the property,” he added. “Though a tragic outcome, we’d like to acknowledge their contributions to a very significant fire and we thank them for their efforts.”
In a statement released Monday afternoon, the City of Waterloo said it offers its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the Waterloo resident who tragically died in the fire.
“On behalf of council, we join the family and friends of the deceased in mourning the loss of life as a result of this devastating fire. We offer our sincere condolences,” said Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe. “We also extend our gratitude to the emergency services staff who responded swiftly to the scene.”
The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) is also investigating.
“[We are] focusing our efforts on the north side of the building. We won’t have those answers until our investigation is complete,” said Michael Bird, a fire investigator with the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM).
The OFM uncovered another heartbreaking discovery, learning four dogs and three cats were also inside the home.
“So far the ones we’ve located have been deceased,” said Bird.
The City of Waterloo said four buildings were impacted by the fire -- two of them significantly.
It is estimating about $1.5 million in total damages.
“We should have the scene examination by the end of the day [Tuesday],” Bird said. “It may be sooner, it may be later, I’m not sure at this point.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.