Early Morning Fire Claims Man (Updated)

Despite a valiant rescue effort from Emergency crews, one man is dead following an early morning fire in a McLeod Street apartment complex.

“The original call came in at 4:06 a.m. firefighters arrived on scene to smoke and flames visible,” confirmed Acting Chief Fire Prevention Officer, Randy Vezina.

“A male was removed from the building who is now deceased, and there will be a post-mortem at one o'clock this afternoon, at which time, city police will be able to release some more information.”

A neighbour who lives across the street from the older brick home at 833 McLeod Street said the smoke alarms didn’t go off in any of the six apartments of the building that once belonged to former Mayor Merle Dickerson.

He also said it was a hard to watch emergency personnel work on the victim who was extracted from the basement but credits Estelle Edmunds, who lives on the second floor of the complex, for her quick action in getting the number of residents out that she did.

It could have been a lot worse,” he tells BayToday.

“I could see them from the driveway working on him and it didn’t look good at all.”

Other neighbours applauded firefighters for their quick action this morning in containing the blaze.

“They did a fantastic job. They sure went to work, they had every tool in the world in there,” says Peter Thorsen.

The Red Cross Personal Disaster Assistance (PDA) Team was on the scene just after 7 a.m. to help with tenants from five of the six apartments who have been displaced.

“Two people required commercial accommodations and the others are with friends or family.”

“All have vouchers for clothing, vouchers for food to meet their needs for the next 72 hours,” states McParland.

Vezina also said the damage is extensive and the Ontario Fire Marshal's office and City Police are investigating the cause.