Baby dies, woman critical after Toronto house fire
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A five-month old baby has perished in and early morning two-alarm fire and its mother is fighting for her life in hospital.
Andy McLean – who lives near the fire scene at 29 Trethewey Dr., north of Keele St. and Eglinton Ave. W. – was up late around 1 a.m. with the windows open in his apartment when he heard the first Toronto Fire trucks arrive at the home and went outside to investigate.
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Within minutes of firefighters arriving, he saw them bring a woman out of the front door of the home and start living-saving measures to revive her.
“There was a lady laying on the sidewalk and they were working on her,” said McLean. “And the fire was very big in the back. Like way over the top of the house.”
“There were quite a few of them working on her and pumping her heart,” he said. “She didn’t look in good shape at all.”
“Then they took her to the hospital and more (fire) trucks came,” McLean added.
McLean said another four people were loaded into a Toronto EMS ambulance that arrived on scene, but he did not see the little baby brought out.
Although by the time he made his way out of the apartment to the fire scene an ambulance was already leaving.
From street level at the front of the home you couldn’t see much damage, only holes in sections of the room that fire crews cut into to vent the smoke from the home.
But at the rear, it was a different story. The metal eavestroughs was melted away, a tin patio roof destroyed, and sections of the home’s rooftop were badly charred.
The rear of the house where the fire started. JACK BOLAND/TORONTO SUNA Toronto Police officer stood guard in the backyard near one of the back bedroom windows that was knocked out and completely blackened inside with heavy paint blistering on the walls outside.
Brian Charles, who has lived just north from the fire scene for the 24 years, said he casually knew the family of six over the years and the baby was 19-year-old daughter’s child.
“I don’t like seeing anybody lose their life. And especially a child or a baby,” said Charles.
His wife Reynalda said the family of six – a husband and wife, their three children and their newborn grandchild – has lived at the house for the 10 years.
She went on to say the family has grown older and they don’t see them these days because they are all working.
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Deputy Fire Marshal John McBeth, of the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office, was on scene waiting for two of his officers to arrive and start sifting through the debris to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
McBeth expressed his condolences to the family.
His investigators will be checking to see if the house had working smoke alarms.
“Tragedy can strike at any time and a working smoke alarm is that one device that will give you and your family that early warning to get out safely,” said McBeth. “Fire can spread so fast you have less than 60 seconds to get out.”
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