Fire crews remain on the scene at a Markham home for a second day after a fire left a nine-year-old boy critically injured.
Emergency crews were called to the home on Spragg Circle near Ninth Line and 16th Avenue just after 12 p.m. on Friday. The boy was found inside the home and taken to a trauma centre with life-threatening injuries. There was no immediate update on his condition on Saturday.
Three other people who were in the home at the time of the blaze managed to escape without injury.
The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) was on scene Saturday, continuing its investigation, with a focus on the garage area. While they would not say what they believe caused the fire, they do not think it is criminal in nature.
“We are at the investigation stages to find the origin, cause and circumstances around this incident,” said OFM spokesperson Jim Demetriou. “It’s a stagnant approach, so we will be looking at all the evidence that they have, whether it’s lifting debris, looking at the various debris, and seeing where the origin started.”
Neighbours tell CityNews the family that lived in the home hasn’t been living there for long.
“They were relatively new, so we do see them out there playing and everything, we definitely feel for them, we’re just absolutely devastated,” said one neighbour.
“I hope the boy is going to be ok, forget the house, only the boy,” added another.
Fire officials are taking this time to remind homeowners to ensure they have an exit plan in the event of a fire, as well as working smoke detectors throughout their home.
