A house fire in Whitestone has claimed the life of a man and has sent a woman to the hospital.
Yesterday, just before 5:00am, the West Parry Sound OPP, The Whitestone Fire Department and the Magnetawan Fire Department responded to a call at a home on Maple Island Road.
Police say the home was fully engulfed in flames and while fighting the fire, a man’s body was recovered. The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed.
Kathy Whitman, Fire Prevention Officer and Public Information Officer with the Whitestone Fire Department says she responded to the call and was at the scene until nearly 3:00pm. She says the frigid temperatures made fighting the fire extremely difficult. She mentioned that nozzles, pumps and lines froze under -30 temperatures which presented challenges to fire crews working to contain the fire.
The woman, who was also reported to be in the home during the fire, was taken to West Parry Sound Hospital by ambulance with injuries and frostbite. Whitman says the woman was outside in frigid temperatures in pyjamas and bare feet. Her condition is unknown.
Whitman says three structures surrounding the home were not affected as fire crews were able to contain the fire to one building. She added that the building is a total loss and that the Ontario Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
Whitman urges the public to make sure that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order as those devices are the first line of defence when preventing a fire.