Shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, emergency service personnel were called to a structure fire on 4th Line near Dufferin County Road 17 and Sideroad 270 in Melancthon. - Tina Marie Bourne MacNeil/Facebook photo
Shelburne firefighters continue to investigate the cause of a large house fire that has displaced three residents and claimed the lives of two cats and a dog.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 20), emergency service personnel were called to respond to a structure fire on 4th Line near Dufferin County Road 17 and Sideroad 270 in Melancthon.
“The house is fully involved,” Shelburne fire chief Brad Lemaich told The Banner at about 6 p.m., noting members of the Mulmur-Melancthon and Grand Valley fire departments were assisting at the scene.
“It’s a large structure fire,” added OPP Const. Iryna Nebogatova, confirming two people were taken to hospital to receive treatment for minor smoke inhalation.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Speaking to The Banner on Friday morning, Lemaich reported three residents have been displaced by the fire. He added two cats and a dog lost their lives in the blaze.
“It’s a total loss,” the chief said of the home. “The investigation into origin, cause and circumstances is ongoing.”
For most of Thursday evening, fire tanker trucks were seen shuttling water to the scene from the north end of Shelburne via County Road 17.
Lemaich said firefighters were able to bring the fire under control at about 8 p.m.
Crews remained on the scene to douse hot spots or flare-ups for several more hours. The scene was cleared by firefighters by about 1 a.m. on Friday.
Lemaich said the cold conditions also hampered the effort, with some equipment freezing up. There is also a need to rotate firefighting crews on shorter cycles in order to keep them warm.
4th Line was closed to traffic between County Road 17 and Sideroad 270 for several hours. Dufferin OPP announced the road had been reopened at about 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Link to original article on orangeville.com: ‘Total loss’: 3 residents displaced, 2 cats, 1 dog dead after large Melancthon house fire