WATCH: Barrie and Bracebridge OPP are asking the public to come forward if they spot a silver Dodge Ram pick-up with license plate 3446YJ. Peter Kim reports.
TORONTO — The picturesque community of Bracebridge, Ont. was the scene of a high-speed chase and massive house fire early Tuesday, and police said the two are linked.
Muskoka Lakes Fire Department responded to a fire just after 12 a.m. Tuesday, and found the sprawling structure fully engulfed.
“By the time we arrived the walls were gone and the roof was already caved in,” said deputy Fire Chief Harry Baranik. “A 15,000 sq. ft. residence that has been totally engulfed and down to ash and rubble. So there is very little left inside.”
It took 30 firefighters to battle the blaze. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Around the time of the fire, police attempted to pull over a vehicle because it was travelling slowly along a highway, due to suspicion the driver may have been intoxicated. After a brief high-speed chase, police called off the pursuit for safety reasons. After running the licence plates though the system, police found the vehicle was registered to the home destroyed in the fire.
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Police want to speak with Thomas Lustvee, 58, the owner of the pickup truck involved in the chase. They’re asking residents to look out for his vehicle, a silver Dodge Ram with licence plate 3446YJ.
Neighbours told Global News Lustvee struggled with mental health issues. They said he lived in the home with his wife but had moved closer to the city for treatment.
With files from Peter Kim
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