2 dead, child critically injured, after Brampton house fire

Two adults are dead after an overnight house fire in Brampton that also left four others, including a child, in critical condition.

Brampton Fire and other emergency crews were called to a structure fire near McLaughlin Road and Remembrance Road around 2:13 a.m. Thursday, police and paramedics confirmed.

Two adults were pronounced dead at the scene and multiple residences were evacuated.

Three adults and one child were taken to the hospital in critical condition with burns and smoke inhalation, according to paramedics. The child is believed to be between the ages of four and five, police said in an update Thursday

Andy Glynn, fire chief with Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, said the deceased were found “just outside” the building and “just inside,” at a news conference Thursday morning.

The Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal arrived on the scene Thursday morning and is working with first responders to find out what caused the fire.

Tyler Bell-Morena, acting sergeant with Peel Regional Police, told reporters police believe a multi-generational family of nine and two other people lived in the building.

Some family members still unaccounted for, police say

Three members of the multi-generational family are unaccounted for, Bell-Morena said at a news conference later Thursday morning. One of the missing people is believed to be a child, according to police.

Bell-Morena told reporters police are not sure if those missing were home at the time.

Fire crews will use an excavator to take the home apart to search for them, Chief Glynn said.

“If we aren’t able to locate them, it doesn’t mean they’re inside, it just means we can’t locate them at this time,” he said at the news conference.

When fire crews arrived, the fire was large and the building had begun to collapse in spots, Glynn said.

“The amount of fire involvement in this structure was significant, which prevented our crews from fully accessing the entire building.”

Glynn said the two buildings on either side of the residence were also damaged in the fire and they will remain evacuated while the home is being dismantled.

First responders are asking people to avoid the area and police, fire and paramedics will remain on the scene to help as the investigation continues. Glynn said fire services will likely be there until Friday to monitor the fire risk.

Mayor calls building owner ‘absentee landlord’

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown expressed his condolences to the victims and their families while speaking to reporters at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

“Words don’t really do justice to how sad this fire is,” he said. “Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the broader community at large as they navigate this challenging and devastating incident.”

Brown called the building’s owner an “absentee landlord,” who was out of the country for an extended period of time.

Brown said the landlord had submitted a building permit application to create a second dwelling unit in the basement, but never followed up on his duty to request an inspection after it was issued. The city issued a series of orders to comply, dating back to 2019, and that process was still ongoing at the time of the incident, he said.

“[This event] speaks to why the city has had such a rigorous and aggressive clamp down on illegal units because it creates unfortunately preventable tragedies,” Brown said. “The city has taken a proactive approach to address landlords in our city that are not following the rigorous standards in place to ensure safety and compliance.”

Neighbour says fire spread quickly

Neighbour Jude Adibe said he ran outside barefoot when he awoke and saw emergency services on scene. He said when he saw the fire, he was worried it would get out of control.

“Because of the closeness [of the houses], the fire spread to another house,” he said. “It spread quickly. I was even thinking they couldn’t put it out.”

He said there are many families and students in the neighbourhood.

“I was worried. I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “It’s so sad.”