It has been nearly four months since a house fire in the Halifax suburb of Spryfield killed all seven children of the Barho family and severely injured their father.
But officials with Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency say there’s still no indication of when the investigation into the cause of the blaze will conclude.
“There is no update at this time, and we are unable to provide an estimate for when the investigation will conclude,” wrote David Meldrum, a deputy chief with the organization, in an email on Sunday.
“I appreciate your patience as our work continues.”
READ MORE: Fire investigation continues 2 months after Barho family tragedy
Ebraheim and Kawthar Barho fled from war-torn Syria, arriving in Canada in September 2017 as refugees with the hope of creating a better life and establishing a future in the country.
At first, they lived in rural Elmsdale, N.S., but the family later moved to the neighbourhood of Spryfield to take advantage of immigrant services, including English-language training.
In the early hours of Feb. 19, the home on Quartz Drive caught fire, with the flames spreading so quickly that only the parents managed to escape.
All seven of their children, Ahmad, 15; Rola, 12; Mohamad, 9; Ola, 8; Hala, 3; Rana, 2 and four-month-old Abdullah, died in the home.
Ebraheim, the family’s patriarch, suffered life-threatening injuries and extensive burns as he reportedly attempted to reach his children and get them out.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
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The response from politicians at all levels of government to the tragedy was swift.
The federal government helped quickly process other members of the Barho family and brought them to Canada within weeks of the fire to offer support for the still-grieving family.
Provincial and municipal governments held vigils and made larger venues available to host a public funeral service for the seven children.
Fire officials have said that when their investigation is done, they will share the results publicly and brief media on their findings.
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