Child believed killed in blaze

A three-year-old boy is believed to have died during a house fire in the Rural Municipality of Grayson on Thursday.

According to information from the RCMP, a fire crew from that RM, EMS, and members of the Esterhazy RCMP were called to the southeast Saskatchewan residence at about 7 p.m. that evening.

Sgt. Curtis Pelzer with the Esterhazy RCMP said the little boy had been inside the house — a single-level, older-style house belonging to his grandfather — while his grandfather was just outside in the yard, likely cutting firewood.

At one point, the grandfather noticed smoke coming from inside the residence.

“Attempts were made by the grandfather (to find the child) and unfortunately he was not successful,” Pelzer said. “The smoke was just too thick. It’s unfortunate but he just couldn’t locate the little guy.”

Once emergency crews got to the scene, they were told the boy — the only person in the house when the fire broke out — was believed to still be inside the residence. The house was completely destroyed by fire.

Fire crews and the RCMP — including canine units — searched outside the residence but the boy was not found at that time.

On Friday, Esterhazy RCMP returned to the location with the Major Crimes Unit South, an RCMP fire scene examiner, and members of the RM of Grayson Fire Department and the Office of the Fire Commissioner. A thorough search of the residence was done at that time and RCMP found what appeared to be human remains.

The remains will be sent for autopsy to determine identification, but police said the size is consistent with the missing child.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

“There is nothing suspicious in regards to the death or the fire itself, but the cause of the fire is still what we’re trying to come to a conclusion on,” Pelzer said.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner was contacted but was not immediately able to provide someone for an interview on Friday. The reeve of the RM of Grayson and the mayor of Dubuc — the community believed to be nearest to the residence — could not be reached on Friday afternoon.