A massive fire caused extensive damage to several homes in Richmond Hill overnight, with police estimating the total cost at millions.
Fire crews were dispatched to Duncan Road just after 11:30 p. m. on Sunday when local residents reported hearing multiple explosions.
According to Richmond Hill Fire Deputy Chief Tom Raeburn, it took about five minutes for trucks to arrive, and by then a large home under construction was fully engulfed in flames.
The fire quickly spread to two nearby houses shortly thereafter.
“The house where the fire started was under construction, so there was no brick on it, no drywall. Flames spread really quickly in that home, and the high winds really pushed it to the houses beside,” Raeburn said from the scene.
Both neighboring homes were occupied at the time.
“Fortunately those folks got out early,” he said.
No injuries have been reported. Peter Summers, who lives close by, mentioned he helped alert neighbors about the fire.
“It was horrendous,” said Summers, who noted that firefighters hosed down his house and kept it safe.
“Luckily nobody got hurt, but it was pretty, pretty traumatic to say the least,” he said.
A total of eight trucks and around 35 firefighters worked hard to put out the fire, according to Raeburn. Crews from Vaughan, Central York and Markham fire services also joined efforts.
The windy conditions meant things could have gotten out of hand very quickly, he explained.
“There were embers flying everywhere. We actually had to send crews one street over as embers were getting on the roofs of houses one street down,” Raeburn said.
In a release Monday, York Regional Police stated that damages across all three homes are estimated at over $12 million.
The Ontario Fire Marshal has been informed and will look into what caused the blaze. York police are asking anyone with information regarding the fire to reach out to investigators or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
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