Man dies after re-entering house during fire
Post-mortem exam to determine cause of death
A 62-year-old man is dead after he re-entered a house in Toronto’s Junction Triangle neighbourhood during a fire early Sunday morning, said an investigative officer with the Fire Marshall.
Approximately 40 firefighters responded to a 911 call about a fire at a three-storey home on Sarnia Ave., near Dupont St. and Symington Ave., at 3:30 a.m., according to a Toronto Fire Services spokesperson, Capt. David Eckerman.
One of the residents is believed to have made the call after the smoke alarm went off.
The home was a shared living space between three individuals; two related and one person who was renting — one person per storey, said Jason Williams, an investigative officer with the Fire Marshal.
Williams said that all three occupants self-evacuated when they learned of the fire. One of the individuals, a 62-year-old man related to one of the other residents, re-entered the structure, Williams said.
Toronto Fire Service said firefighters arrived at the scene and found two of the three residents waiting outside. Firefighters found the 62year-old man on the second floor in critical condition.
Toronto paramedics transported him to the hospital where he died from his injuries, Eckerman said.
The fire was knocked down quickly, by 3:48 a.m., according to Toronto Fire Service.
According to Williams, the fire was localized on the second floor, which the 62-year-old man occupied.
“We’re focusing our efforts on one of the bedrooms on the second floor,” said Williams, adding that there is smoke damage to both the second and third floors.
A team of investigators is looking into the cause of the blaze. The investigation will continue Monday with the assistance of the office of the chief coroner, who will conduct a post-mortem to determine a cause of death, Williams said.
“We’re in the initial stages of the examination so everything is under consideration right now,” said Williams. “Unfortunately this is an example of what will happen when someone re-enters a home when they know there is a working fire.”