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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 on-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.
There are still individuals unaccounted for, police said at a news conference Thursday morning following the fire.
Tyler Bell-Morena, acting sergeant with Peel Regional Police, told reporters investigators are working to locate the outstanding individuals and are not sure if they are away or inside the unit. Bell-Morena said police receieved “varying reports” about how many people are unaccounted for but said there is more than one.
The Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal will be on scene to investigate the fire on Thursday, Bell-Morena said. He said the investigation will aim to determine the cause of the fire.
It is unknow whether the residence was a single family home or contained multiple units, he told reporters.
“Based on the condition of the structure, it is too difficult to tell at this point,” Bell-Morena said.
When fire crews arrived, the fire was large and the building had begun to collapse in spots, Andy Glynn, fire chief with Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, said at the news conference.
“The amount of fire involvement in this structure was significant, which prevented our crews from fully accessing the entire building.”
The deceased were found “just outside” the building and “just inside,” Glynn said on Thursday.
Glynn said the two buildings on either side of the residence were also damaged in the fire.
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.
