A fire at a home along Highway 132, just west of Renfrew last Thursday morning resulted in the death of a man. Douglas – The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office (OFM) is still investigating a deadly fire in Admaston/Bromley Township that occurred early last Thursday and has been classified as suspicious. The blaze at a residence on Hwy. 132 close to Stone Road took the life of the sole male occupant, who was found deceased inside after firefighters managed to enter the building. The Douglas Fire Department received the call at 5:23 a. m. “When we got there, flames were visible from the Delta (southwest) side,” Chief Bill Mc Hale mentioned. “Flames were leaping from the rafters, and there was extensive damage at the back of the house near the patio doors and deck. “There were two vehicles parked in the yard, and given that time of day with two cars present, we assumed there might be someone inside since no one was outside,” he added. “Also, it was reported by a passer-by rather than by anyone living there.” Chief Mc Hale stated that when it’s suspected someone may be trapped inside, their approach changes immediately. “We launched an aggressive initial attack,” he clarified. “Renfrew Fire responds first under our agreement with them, so they had two firefighters ready to go in.” He explained they couldn’t enter without support; once Douglas arrived, both Renfrew firefighters went in with one hose line to fight the fire and begin searching for any victims. “Renfrew Fire then, with help from our crew near the entrance, discovered a casualty within and brought that person out,” he said. “Douglas Fire subsequently conducted a second entry into the home as more firefighters arrived on scene and performed another search of other bedrooms and the basement but found no additional occupants.” He mentioned that anytime there’s a loss of life involved, it takes some time for team members to process it all. “There’s always family affected far more than what first responders experience,” he reflected. All firefighters returned to their hall on Thursday evening for debriefing since each person copes differently with such situations. “It’s something you’ll think about,” he noted. “You’ll ponder it for a week, then realize you haven’t thought about it for some time. “Then you’ll think about it again later,” he continued. “But if after three weeks you’re still thinking about it daily, we’ve got an issue.” Chief Mc Hale pointed out that any firefighter who was present will remember this incident every time they pass by over the next 40 to 50 years. “And that’s perfectly normal,” he added. He praised OFM for doing excellent work on this investigation while mentioning they didn’t finish their on-site work until around 4 p. m. Saturday. “We had lead investigator Tawnya Roberts on site several times; she’s an incredible source of information,” he remarked. “The initial team showed up shortly after 2 p. m. Thursday and returned Friday at 8 a. m., staying until 6 p. m., then came back Saturday from 8 – 4.” “Plus there were two other engineers from OFM present too.” A local company called Steve Buch Carpentry helped secure some rafters so inspectors could safely do their job. “There are various theories circulating about how this fire started. They’ll narrow it down probably within 95 percent certainty.” However, he’s not expecting answers for several months because it’s considered a criminal investigation that needs careful handling. The Chief emphasized that while officials view this fire as suspicious in nature, there’s currently no danger posed to public safety. He shared that a stepson of the deceased lives in Calgary while his daughter resides in Texas. The victim is believed to have been around 67 years old. A total of sixteen firefighters responded with water being sourced from a hydrant nearby in Renfrew.
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