Man dies after vehicle fire spreads to two homes in Richmond Hill
A 69-year-old man was found without vital signs and later pronounced dead after a chaotic blaze that also engulfed three vehicles.
RICHMOND HILL — A 69-year-old man is dead after a fire that started in a vehicle spread to two semi-detached homes in Richmond Hill early Wednesday.
York Regional Police said emergency crews responded to the blaze on Crosby Avenue between Newkirk Road and Bayview Avenue around 3:05 a.m.
The man was located without vital signs in one of the homes and was pronounced dead at 6 a.m., Staff Sgt. Peter Cheung said at a news conference.
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"I have to stress [fire crews] got here to a very chaotic scene. People were panicking, running out of the home, people screaming, still trapped," said Richmond Hill Fire Chief Tom Raeburn.
He said firefighters had to manage a "chaotic" scene with heavy fire that engulfed the two homes and three vehicles.
Raeburn said crews were able to rescue one person from a basement window, who is now in stable condition.
He said it was a challenging scene for crews as some of the entrances into the homes were right by the car fires.
"So you're just walking through a wall of flame to try and get to the the doors to get people out," he said.
Cheung said it appears the fire started from a vehicle parked in the driveway of one of the houses.
All the occupants in one home were accounted for, while the other home had a family living upstairs and a couple living in the basement, Cheung said.
Police said the fire damaged two homes and residents were evacuated.
Raeburn said about 34 firefighters and eight Richmond Hill Fire apparatus responded to the blaze.
Police said the blaze has been extinguished, and crews remain at the scene to monitor for hotspots.
Raeburn said it is too early to determine if the fire is suspicious in nature.
The Office of the Fire Marshal has been called and is working alongside investigators to determine the origin of the blaze.
Police Const. Caroline de Kloet said the investigation remains ongoing with Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal expected to attend the scene Wednesday morning.
Police urged residents to avoid the area due to road closures at Crosby Avenue between Newkirk Road and Bayview Avenue.
Richmond Hill Mayor David West expressed his condolences to the victim's family in a social media post.
"This is a heartbreaking morning for our community," West wrote. "I am deeply saddened by the tragic fire in Richmond Hill early this morning that claimed the life of one of our community members."
He said the hearts of the community are with the family and everyone affected by the tragedy.
Raeburn said the three vehicles at the homes were fully engulfed in the flames and don't appear to be electric.
Officials did not have any details on the well-being of the other people evacuated from the homes.
York Regional Police told the Toronto Sun the investigation into the fire "remains active and ongoing."
With files from Global News, CBC News and Toronto Star