SUDBURY -- There has been another fire overnight in North Bay and this one turned fatal.
A fire at an abandoned home in North Bay has claimed the life of a man that officials suspect was homeless.
Fire crews responded to a structure fire just after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at 13 Pinewood Park Drive, North Bay Deputy Fire Chief Greg Saunders said in an email to CTV News.
"Fire crews arrived on scene within five minutes and found what appeared to be an abandoned home on fire with significant smoke coming from the home," said Saunders.
Sadie Desrosier and her husband had driven into North Bay from Powassan around 9:50 p.m. and noticed firefighters walking into the old house with a fire hose.
Desrosier said the abandoned house has been boarded up for years, but from what she could see from the road, it looked like someone had set up camp inside. She described seeing "a bunch of new stuff" that had not been there before.
She said there were no flames, just a lot of smoke at that time and there didn't appear to be much damage to the outside of the house.
Fire officials say the blaze started at the front of the house, but the cause has not yet been determined.
The couple went to get coffee and drove by about 10 p.m. and saw about six firefighters doing CPR on a person, who her husband said looked like a man wearing black pants and only socks on their feet, on the front lawn.
Saunders said a person was found inside the home by firefighters, who carried them out for treatment.
Desrosier said as they were turning back onto the highway, the ambulance arrived at the scene.
"Paramedics worked for 45 minutes in the back of the ambulance and went to extraordinary lengths to try and save the victim but the smoke inhalation was too severe and the patient was declared deceased at the fire scene," said Saunders.
The couple went to go visit some friends and as they were heading home around midnight, the ambulance and fire crews were still on the scene.
Ontario Fire Marshal investigator James Allen has been called in to work with local fire investigator Joe Gardiner and North Bay Police Service to determine the cause of the blaze.
"At this time the fire is not deemed to be suspicious," said Saunders.
North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whitely is warning other people to not going into abandoned buildings because they are unsafe.
Another fire happened in downtown North Bay just after midnight Wednesday at a vacant building on Main Street East in the downtown area. The Main Street fire is considered arson.
CTV News will follow the story and provide more details as they become available. Check back for updates.
