A big fireplace destroyed a number of houses in Richmond Hill in a single day, and police estimate the harm will whole hundreds of thousands.
Crews had been referred to as to Duncan Highway shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Sunday after neighbours within the space reported listening to a number of explosions.
It took about 5 minutes for vans to reply, mentioned Richmond Hill Hearth Deputy Chief Tom Raeburn, and by the point they arrived a sprawling dwelling below building was totally engulfed in flames.
The blaze reached two adjoining homes shortly after.
“The home the place the hearth began was below building, so there was no brick on it, no drywall. Flames unfold actually rapidly in that dwelling, and the excessive winds actually pushed it to the homes beside,” Raeburn mentioned from the scene.
Each of the neighbouring homes had been occupied.
“Fortuitously these people acquired out early,” he mentioned.
There have been no stories of accidents. Peter Summers, who lives close by, mentioned he helped warn neighbours of the blaze.
“It was horrendous,” mentioned Summers, who mentioned his home was spared due to firefighters hosing it down.
“Fortunately no person acquired damage, but it surely was fairly, fairly traumatic to say the least,” he mentioned.
Eight vans and about 35 firefighters battled the hearth, Raeburn mentioned. Crews from Vaughan, Central York and Markham fireplace companies additionally stepped in to assist out.
The windy situations meant the scenario may have rapidly spiralled uncontrolled, he mentioned.
“There have been embers flying all over the place. We truly needed to ship crews one road over as embers had been getting on the roofs of homes one road down,” Raeburn mentioned.
In a launch Monday, York Regional Police mentioned the harm to all three houses is estimated at greater than $12 million.
The Ontario Hearth Marshal has been notified and will likely be investigating the origin of the blaze. York police are asking anybody with details about the hearth to contact investigators or submit a tip anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
