Four dead following early morning house fire in Oshawa

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

An early morning house fire in Oshawa has led to the deaths of four people, two of them young children.

The fire erupted at 116 Centre Street North in Oshawa’s downtown around 8 a.m. this morning killing two adults, one male and one female, along with the two children, also one male and female.

Three other people were transported to hospital, but an update on their condition is unavailable at this time.

Briefing the media outside the house on Monday afternoon, Oshawa Fire Services chief Derrick Clark noted that while the fire was completely extinguished at that time, three of the victims remained inside the two storey home as the investigation continued. Representatives from the Ontario Fire Marshall were already on scene to assist in determining the cause of the fire. Fire Services were also working with the Durham Regional Police to identify the victims.

Clark stated that when fire crews arrived on scene, there were several attempts made by firefighters to reach the upper floors of the home, but each time they were pushed back by the force of the blaze.

He added that it was too early to share any information as to what may have caused the fire and would not speculate as to whether the fire was to be deemed suspicious.

It is also unclear whether there were working smoke alarms inside the house, as witnesses on scene reported hearing alarms when fire crews arrived, Clark would not confirm for a fact whether any smoke alarms were working at the time.

Several nearby residents also reported hearing some kind of explosion ahead of the fire, but again, Clark would not confirm whether any such blast had led to the fire.

Currently, Ontario Fire Marshall representatives, along with Oshawa Fire are conducting an investigation, something Clark says could take between three and five days to complete.

The Oshawa Express will update this story as more information becomes available.