Two women killed in Guelph house fire

Two people have died, and two others escaped, after a fire broke out at a Guelph home.

Guelph Fire Chief Brian Arnold said firefighters received a call about a house on fire with people trapped inside around 12:40 a.m. Monday.

When crews arrived at the Edinburgh Road property, near Wilsonview Avenue, heavy smoke and flames were coming from the home. Two people had already escaped while two more remained inside.

"Firefighters made entry under extremely dangerous conditions, fighting their way to the second floor and affecting the rescue of two occupants," Arnold said.

He added that one of those people was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second later succumbed to their injuries.

In a news release, the Guelph Police Service identified the victims as two adult women.

Police said the two people who escaped the home were treated in hospital for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.

Neighbour Annette Whitaker said she was watching a movie when someone banged on her door, yelling to get out of her home.

“We came outside and that's when we saw the fire.We were standing out here kind of watching everything happen.The neighbor mentioned that she heard the man yelling for his family,” Whitaker said. “The poor guy was just looking for his wife and his daughter and it was just a lot of... It was really scary, because we didn't really know what was going on, where it started.”

Aftermath of a fatal fire at a Guelph townhouse on March 11, 2024. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

Investigators from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal were on scene Monday, along with Guelph fire officials and local police, searching for answers into what happened at the home. They’re expected to be at the property for least two days and may take some items to an offsite location for further analysis.

“At this point in time, it’s a little premature to give any type of conclusions,” said Mariano Perini, the operations manager for the Office of the Fire Marshall.

Investigators, however, don’t believe the cause of the fire was criminal in nature.

“There’s nothing to suggest anything along those lines right now,” Perini said.

The fire chief added that incidents, like this one, are a good reminder to other homeowners to check their alarms.

"I would be remiss if I did not take this moment to remind all Ontarians to test and ensure that you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home," Arnold said.