Fatal fire in Sudbury's Donovan neighbourhood deemed suspicious
Sudbury fire officials say police and the fire marshal have been called in to investigate a suspicious fire where one person was found dead.
It happened around 1 a.m. Tuesday at a four-unit apartment complex on Antwerp Avenue in Sudbury's Donovan neighbourhood.
Crews from five fire stations were called to the scene and as they arrived, the front of the building was heavily engulfed in flames, deputy fire chief Jesse Oshell told CTV News.
He said heavy smoke and flames hampered search efforts when firefighters started the initial attack on the fire.
"While crews were performing their search and getting the fire under control the fire escalated to a point where we had to withdraw from the building," OShell said. "We were only able to perform a small search, we weren't able to complete it. We were unable to confirm that all residents were out of all of the units."
He said firefighters worked quickly to get water on the blaze and when it was safe to resume the search, one person was found deceased inside one of the units.
"At this time, we do not have a confirmed identity of the deceased person. We are working in collaboration with the coroner's office and the Ontario Fire Marshal. The investigation into this incident is ongoing," Sudbury police said in a news release.
Five other tenants were able to evacuate to safety and will be taken care of by family or alternate accommodations will be arranged by the building's owner, Oshell said. All pets were safely evacuated.
No word on the cause of the fire.
Paige Dénommé lives nearby. She told CTV News she was woken up by sirens and radio chatter from the fire trucks around 1:10 a.m.
Dénommé said she gave a pair of shoes to a woman who was walking down the street barefoot with a dog while crying and saying she lost everything in the fire.
"There was information given to fire services upon arrival and while performing our duties that led us to believe that this may be a suspicious fire and with that information we certainly passed that along to our partners at Greater Sudbury Police Services for investigation," Oshell said. " The investigation will be turned over to Greater Sudbury Police Service and Ontario Fire Marshal. City of Greater Sudbury Fire Services crews remain on scene and out thoughts with those affected by this tragic loss."
The estimated damage is around $750,000 including contents, Oshell said.
Officers remain at the scene and detectives will be canvassing the area for information and video surveillance footage, Sudbury police said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the fatal fire or circumstances leading up to it to contact them.
"Anyone who was seen in the area, any suspicious activity, vehicles, persons anything that will help us determine what caused this fire or how it started," said Kaitlyn Dunn of the Greater Sudbury Police Service.
Police said anyone with information about the incident is asked to call 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.