Unknown person found dead in Ontario house fire while residents out of country

Emergency crews were called to the home at Mirage Place and Select Court at around 10:40 p.m. Monday, where the structure was already fully engulfed in flames.

According to officials, multiple callers reported a large explosion from the house before it became fully involved.

Peel Regional Police Const. Tyler Bell said one individual was found dead in the home, although it is not clear yet who the individual is.

“The coroner’s office will be investigating the cause of the death of the individual inside,” Bell said. “If any of those investigations determine criminality, Peel police will then take over the investigation.”

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Police say all known residents of the home have been accounted for and were out of the country at the time of the fire.

“Now we have the difficult task of trying to determine who is the [deceased] individual. We don’t have details like age, gender…. We have no reason to believe anyone should have been in the home that’s associated with the residence at this time,” Bell said.

The Office of the Fire Marshal is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire, which remains unknown.

“This is preliminary,” Jim Demetriou with the Office of the Fire Marshal said. “We are here to find the origin, cause and circumstances around the fire.”

Demetriou said it is too early to determine whether the explosion caused the fire or where in the home the fire started.

Officials say the structure is currently too unstable to allow for a full search.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has called for support, including heavy equipment to assist with debris removal. An engineer is also expected to assess the safety of the building before investigators continue their work.

So far, only one person has been found inside the home, though police say that could change as the search progresses.

There is currently no indication of criminal activity.

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