Aylmer St. rooming house fire victim dies

Police do not believe second-floor fire was suspicious

A man has died following Monday morning’s fire in a bedroom on the second storey of a rooming house on Aylmer Street North in Peterborough.

The cause of death is yet to be determined, Peterborough Fire Services Deputy Chief Chad Brown stated, and remains under investigation.

His name was not released by investigators.

City police have completed an investigation, Brown stated, and at this time the cause of the fire does not appear to be suspicious.

Firefighters were called to the rooming house shortly after 11 a.m. Monday.

Firefighters pulled the man from the second-floor bedroom. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and firefighters and then rushed by paramedics to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre before being transferred to a burn unit.

The fire department’s fire prevention staff have been working with the owners of the rooming house to ensure fire safety

compliance, which helped limit the fire to the room where it started, Brown stated.

“It’s tragic that a life was lost in this fire. It could have been worse without the proactive fire prevention efforts and the quick response to the fire,” Brown stated. “We need to continue to be mindful of fire safety in our houses and multi-residential buildings.”

Damage was pegged at $50,000. The Peterborough City-County Disaster Trust Fund was called in to help the displaced residents of the rooming house.

“We hope to have all of the residents returned home as quickly as possible,” he stated.

The fire department is urging everyone to ensure they have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

“We want everyone to test their alarms to ensure they are protected,” Brown stated.

NOTE: Additional fire safety information is posted at www.peterboroughfireservices.ca or people can call the fire prevention division at 705-745-3284.