Fire Marshal investigating fatal house fire in Brampton

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to investigate a late-night house fire in Brampton that claimed the life of an elderly man.

Emergency crews were dispatched to a semi-detached home on Royal Salisbury Way, in the area of Williams Parkway and Highway 410, shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, following multiple reports of a residential fire.

According to Brampton Fire Chief Andy Glynn, firefighters arrived to find flames visible from the second floor of the home and heavy smoke throughout the residence. During a search of the building, crews located a man on the second floor and removed him from the house.

Peel Paramedics confirmed one adult male was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

The home is registered as a two-unit residence. Glynn told reporters Thursday that two residents who were initially believed to be missing were later accounted for after it was determined they were not home when the fire broke out.

Residents of the adjoining unit were able to evacuate safely, and the neighbouring home did not sustain any significant damage.

While the exact cause remains under investigation, fire officials believe the blaze may have originated in a second-floor bedroom. Glynn noted that determining the fire’s origin, cause, and circumstances will ultimately fall to investigators with the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Officials are also examining whether smoke alarms were present and functioning inside the residence. Fire crews reported they did not hear any alarms sounding when they arrived at the scene.

The most extensive fire and smoke damage appears to be concentrated on the second floor of the home.

Neighbours described seeing flames and smoke coming from the residence before firefighters quickly brought the situation under control. Several residents who gathered outside during the emergency credited responding crews with preventing the fire from spreading to nearby homes.

Firefighters remained at the scene Thursday, assisting investigators as the probe into the fatal fire continued.