Two children were rescued by a neighbour in an early morning fire that extensively damaged a house near Leslie Street and Veterans Way, north of St. John's Sideroad, this morning.
A neighbour used a ladder to get to the children on a balcony on the upper level of the house on Warby Trail shortly before emergency responders arrived after receiving the 911 call at about 5 a.m. Monday, April 26, according to York Regional Police Const. Laura Nicolle.
No one was injured in the fire.
The cause is under investigation, however, it doesn't appear to be suspicious, Nicolle said, adding renovations may have been taking place.
The house in the Copper Hills neighbourhood was visibly damaged near the garage, where a vehicle in the driveway was also destroyed, as well as the second floor and roof.
According to a Central York Fire Services incident report, firefighters arrived to find a vehicle on fire in front of the attached garage and heavy smoke coming from the front of the home on the first and second floors.
"Crews initiated an aggressive interior offensive attack on the fire, however, due to a partial roof collapse the structural integrity of the house being compromised, crews were withdrawn to a defensive posture," the report states.
A neighbour lauded Central York Fire Services for its "amazing response", posting on Twitter: "Thank you for keeping so many of us safe. (I live 200 feet away.)"
According to nearby residents, sounds of explosions — "one big one then a couple of smaller ones" — were heard.
The Ontario Fire Marshal is on the scene, assisting CYFS in determining the cause of the fire.
