The Office of the Fire Marshal is investigating an April 18 blaze in Bracebridge which levelled a residence and sent one man to hospital with severe burns.
Bracebridge Fire Chief Kevin Plested said the fire, which caused an estimated $800,000 damage to one principal dwelling and damaged another, is not deemed suspicious.
“Upon our arrival, one single family home was fully involved in fire,” Plested said. “The occupants of both residences were evacuated. Two occupants of the initial residences were in the care of Muskoka Paramedic Services. They were transported to a local hospital with the one being airlifted to a Toronto area hospital with some serious injuries.”
The fire department received the call at 8:20 a.m. and attended the incident, which occurred near Manitoba Street and Wellington Street North. The chief said the fire was extinguished around 9:30 a.m.
“The damage to the (second) home did require the occupant not to return to the home. Structurally, I think it’s OK, but there was a lot of heat and smoke and fire damage on the inside,” he said. “They won’t be returning home until it’s determined by insurance that it’s safe to return.”
It could be months before the Office of the Fire Marshal releases its findings, Plested said.
“They’re the ones who would determine the causes and the origin of the fire. They were on site, Saturday as well, and left around 4:30 or 5 in the evening,” he added.
In a GoFundMe page, the couple has been identified as Jack and Nadine Bustard.
Their granddaughter, Ashlyn Fox said the couple made it out safely from their fiery home with the help “of amazing passersby.”
She stated on the page the couple had lost everything, and she was hoping to raise $35K to help them. As of the morning of April 23, $32,290 has been pledged on the page.
Fox said in her latest update her grandmother was doing good, and the family is not leaving her side.
“My grandpa is at the Sunnybrook burn centre with 40 per cent of his body burnt (with) 2nd and 3rd degree burns,” she said. “He is in the best hands he can be in, all we can do is pray for him at this time.
“Thank you so much everyone for your generous donations.”