An initial investigation into Monday’s fatal house fire in Guelph has concluded the home did not have a working smoke alarm.
Fire Chief Brian Arnold and Jon Pegg from the Ontario Fire Marshal held a news conference Thursday outside the home at an Edinburgh Road townhouse complex.
Pegg said the on-scene phase of the investigation into Monday’s fire that claimed the lives of two women and injured two others has wrapped up. He doesn’t think there was any foul play involved.
“It’s very early in the investigation, but at this point there is nothing that leads us to think suspicious,” said Pegg. “Our investigation could change once we start looking at the samples.”
No information about the cause of the fire was released at the news conference. They also did not released the identities of the two women who died in the blaze.
Arnold pointed out that the three other house fires that occurred in the city this week, including the most recent one in the north-end on Wednesday, had working smoke alarms and the occupants inside were able to escape. Those fires were also not deemed suspicious.
Arnold said it has been a busy and stressful week for his staff.
“We have had four house fires in the last three days and that is truly unprecedented,” said Arnold. “We’ve never seen this before in our careers. It is very taxing on our resources but most importantly our personnel.”
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Arnold wouldn’t comment on why the home didn’t have a smoke alarm but did indicate that they will be enforcing the fire code.
“Whether charges will be laid at this point and time is still to be determined,” he said. “It’s still part of our ongoing discussion and review of the investigation with the OFM but I will stress that we take the matter seriously.”
Pegg also stressed the importance of having a working smoke alarms in homes.
“Don’t let cost of living and lack of funds be the reason you don’t have working smoke alarms,” Pegg said. “There are programs across the province to help.”
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